Enchanted
by Ember Glass
Summary: "It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this." ― Jonathan Franzen, The Correction Hermione's looking for her mate and it might be Draco Malfoy. An unlikely event will bring these two together. But can Hermione get past her pride to let herself fall? Can Draco learn to allow himself good things?
1. Chapter 1

Enchanted

Chapter 1

" _It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

― _Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections_

Hermione knew the moment her eyes had become molten gold, she was not a normal witch. It happened on her 20th birthday, two years after graduating Hogwarts. She had been in her flat, drinking a cup of tea when all the sudden, she had the urge to puke. She had rushed to her bathroom, flung herself over her toilet and retched until she was positive there was nothing left in her stomach to heave. An odd occurrence, but nothing that left Hermione puzzled. That is, until she cleansed her face over the sink, looked up and gasped at her now, shining, golden eyes.

And, well, Hermione wasn't one to dawdle on the unknown. So, she did what she did best. Picked up her old textbooks, brushed off the dust, and began to read. She looked at _Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them_ , but nothing inside the text made her sudden change of irises clearer.

"Well that's utter bollocks." she muttered to herself, before Crookshanks jumped on her sofa demanding attention. She looked to her half-kneazle, while scratching his ears affectionately. "Well Crooks? Do you happen to know the sudden change of my eyes?" she asked redundantly.

And, bless her soul, Crooks had flourished himself off of the couch and scampered his way to her bookshelf. With great agility, he jumped onto the second shelf, scanned the binds until he found the one he desired, and like a true feline, knocked it off onto the ground with a smug grin. If Hermione hadn't loved and appreciated Crooks intelligence so much, she'd have outed him long ago.

Maybe. Well, probably not, but she certainly would have given him a time out.

"Crooks, you silly little cat." The feline huffed and flicked his tail is disgust. He was _not_ a cat. Hermione meanwhile had picked up the novel, tenderly ran a thumb over the surface and read the title. " _Veelas_."

And the moment she spoke those words Hermione knew that her life had just become _infinitely_ more complicated.

"Bugger."

…

Two years later found Hermione in a simpler life than she had imagined. After graduation, she always thought she'd enter into the Ministry and change the world. When her veela heritage kicked in, that was no longer possible. People would question her eyes amongst other odd traits that had begun to establish themselves. For instance, her love of sweets. Hermione had never been one for candy or chocolate but now she seemed to be enticed by them, especially rich, white chocolate truffles. Merlin those were like orgasms in her mouth.

If only her parents could see her now.

A brief pain in her heart flashed by before settling down to its normal rhythm. She had gotten used to the loss of her parents, it now being a dull ache that occasionally popped up.

That was another thing, her heart. Faulty it was, she had learned. She had tried to figure out why it sped up at random intervals during her research but had never been able to pinpoint the cause. She could only imagine the disaster it could be at the Ministry. Constantly speeding up and slowing down…Merlin she'd never get anything done!

Thus, a career in magical law was not practical. And then being a healer was out too. With the constant stress of having to find a mate so she wouldn't die and being surrounded by such a negative atmosphere…no…that wouldn't do well for her mental state. Especially a Veelas are creatures of…what did that book say? _Beauty_. And beautiful things aren't formed by death. Apparently, the sight of death could take an enormous toll on a veela. And, Hermione, well, she hadn't _believed_ it until she saw a thestral in Luna's front lawn eating flowers and all of the sudden had a panic attack. No, a healer wouldn't do.

Which had lead her to her simple life. Books. If there was one thing Hermione loved more than changing the world, it was books. A bookstore seemed rational. Not to mention it could hide her away from the wizarding world and her fame. Even more, her mate had to love books, because if they didn't love books…well…there was just no way that was a possibility.

They _had_ to love books.

Then there was the issue of whether her mate was a muggle. To which Hermione had decided the easiest solution was to build a store with two entrances. One, to wizard London, the other to muggle London. An invisible charmed wall separated the two but allowed Hermione to know who was on what side.

And that was where one would find Hermione on the fateful day of October 18 where everything changed.

…

Draco had never been one for politics, despite his talent with words. In fact, he had rejected the idea of following in his father's footsteps of business and his mother's of a swanky life. He had learned better, after barely surviving a war, to settle himself into a modest and respectable life. He was a potions master at the age of 25 and taught private lessons to children of pureblood parents and mostly did freelance work. He enjoyed it immensely, not being tied down by social obligations, being able to wander about without people he didn't know coming up to him to attempt small talk.

The blond sneered at the idea. He despised small talk. He had no interest in the feeble attempts of subtly at old hags trying to match him with their daughters. Didn't they realize being a Malfoy was a mockery? Not a prideful name as it had used to be? Didn't they know that him walking openly in Diagon Alley was him being persecuted by the public for the black stain on his arm?

No, he loathed those women and everything that they entailed. He wanted no more of the life of a socialite.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts, causing Draco to groan as his hands dragged down his face. A weak attempt at making himself look presentable followed suit before his secretary came in.

"Yes, Kerli?" he asked. A much older woman than Draco poked her head in. Long black hair with silver roots swung through the crack of the door as green eyes peered at him under thick, round glasses. "You're 2'oclock is here."

The blond checked his schedule. "My father?"

"Yes. Him." A casual glance back caused Kerli's head to disappear before she moved her frame into Draco's office, shutting the door quietly behind her. "I gave him tea and my current novel recommendation. He'll be preoccupied for a bit before he demands your attention."

Draco grinned. "You're brilliant you know that?"

Kerli chuckled, flicker her long lock over her shoulder. "So I'm told. I tried to get him to tell me why he wanted to see you, but he didn't budge. For a man who's hitting almost 55 you'd think he'd be more pleasant to get along with."

"He's 52…and aren't you 50?"

Kerli waved her hand. "Semantics."

Draco just shook his head in mirth. "Nevertheless, he is my father and if he won't tell you why he's here then he'll tell me. Send him in."

"You got it boss. Oh, one more thing. Dyson called. Apparently Kenzi will be late for her lesson today. Something about dealing with trouble? I didn't ask for details."

"Probably wise. Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem. I'll send in your Pops now."

Draco scrunched up his nose at the word as Kerli exited the office. She was always so casual about titles. It was strange but refreshing he mused. At that moment, Lucius entered. His father was noticeably thinner, he hair beginning to show signs of age as well as his skin.

"Father." said Draco, gesturing to the seat before him. Out of both of his parents, the blond had been surprised to find that after the war it was his father who had changed drastically. His mother had altered herself accordingly to the new norm, but to say her ideologies had changed…well, that would be wrong. His father on the other hand was no longer a strong man who prided himself on blood status. Lucius was not a shell, but there was something about him that screamed that he was fading. But fading was a myth, written up by fantasy authors inspired by the high elven race.

"What brings you here?"

Lucius sighed, his hands resting on his cane lightly. Despite being a slender man, Lucius remained regal in his attire and form.

"I am…leaving your mother."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "What? Why?"

"We are longer on the same side. She does not miss the war, but she does miss her infleunce. I cannot give that to her…not anymore."

The blond furrowed his brow. "Surely she doesn't want that."

"Son, you and I know that our marriage was never based on romance. It was a business transaction, nothing more."

"But you did care for her, didn't you?"

"I was fond of her, yes. But as of she for me…" Lucius sighed, looking sadly at his shoes, "it cannot be said the same."

"I see. Well, I'm sorry then."

The older Malfoy nodded his head in gratitude. To say Draco was caught of guard would be accurate. He knew his parents had never had a blooming marriage like the ones in fairytales, but he certainly thought they cared for one another. Apparently, that was not the case.

"Do you need anything from me?"

"Just to make sure your mother makes this an easy separation. Divorce is uncommon in our world. I wish not for it to be public and put more negative spotlight on our family."

"I can do that." Draco paused, staring at his father. He looked bloody awful. "You look like piss."

Lucius sighed again. "The divorce was not the only thing I wished to speak to you about."

"What else is there?"

The older man straightened himself in the chair, attempting to appear more robust than he knew he was. "I am…from my understanding…fading."

Draco's eyes went wide. "That's a myth."

"It is not, apparently. It is rare, almost unheard of, but a possibility nonetheless."

Well shit.

…

After his father left, Draco had turned his chair to stare out the window at the bleak, grey sky that threatened rain. He heard the door open but did not acknowledge the presence. He assumed it was Kerli.

"So…what was that about? If you don't mind me asking."

Draco pursed his lips before turning himself around. "I need you to find me all the books on elven myths. Not your basic elf but the fantastical ones."

"Sure. Are you going to answer my question first?"

"Not until I had a solid idea of what I'm dealing with. You search the old Malfoy resources, ones that my father hasn't. As for me…I'll start looking elsewhere."

"Have you thought about muggle London?"

Draco had certainly not thought about that as he gave Kerli an annoyed look. "No. I doubt muggles know about the legends of high elves."

"Is that prejudice I hear?"

"What..no…it's just…no…I'm not…"

Kerli laughed. "I'm kidding. I know you're no a bigoted little swot anymore. You're an ignorant _big_ swot. Here, let me write down an address for you to check out. It's a little store in muggle London. The woman who runs it is a genius. If anyone can help you find what you need, it's her. She's a doll too. I go there for any questions I have."

"Thanks." Draco checked his calendar. October 18. A sigh escaped him. "Cancel my lessons for today. This is more important."

"Of course."

With that, Draco grabbed his coat, threw it on and left his office to find this little shop titled, _W &W ~ Wonder and Wander. _

…

Hermione stared at her kettle in her little office in the back of her shop. A veela book laid to the side of her hand. She had been perusing it, already quite familiar with the facts of the script, but still mulling over some of the qualities and signs of finding one's mate. Hermione wasn't overly concerned…but a small part of her remained worried. What if she never found her mate? What if they rejected her?

There were too many factors with no positive conclusions. Ugh, thinking about her possibility of impending doom gave her a headache. The kettle screeched, and Hermione made her cuppa before grabbing the book and moving to the front desk. She settled herself in the middle, an eye on both sides of the store, before losing herself in the pages. One of the bells rang but Hermione ignored it. It was from the muggle side, and all of her customers who were muggle were regulars and knew the witch fairly well. There was no need to be hospitable when she was digesting the ink in front of her.

Apparently, the customer disagreed and soon a pale hand came to rest beside her book. Hermione was a tad miffed at the action. "You can just ring the bell." She muttered before lifting her head.

Her eyes blinked, once, twice before she rubbed them fiercely. Perhaps she was seeing things. Her lids fluttered open once more. Nope. No, she was not. In front of her, stood Draco Malfoy, who had come in from the _muggle_ side.

"Granger stop staring. It's unbecoming."

And there it was. The annoying little shit that he was. Seemingly, his bullying habits had not left him. "What do you want Malfoy?" she asked, a hint of malice in her tone.

"Relax Granger. I'm not here to bully you. I'm looking for a few books. A friend recommended this place to me."

"Which friend?" she spoke with an eyebrow raised. If he was going to be rude, she certainly would not make it easy for him.

"Kerli Haus."

Hermione's grew wide. "Your friends with _Kerli Haus_?!"

Malfoy looked affronted. "Yes Granger."

"But she's…she was a Hufflepuff."

"So?"

"Well…you just…Slytherins _hate_ Hufflepuffs."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Semantics." A flicker of a smile crossed his face before he resumed is usual sneer. "Now, can you help me find this book or not?"

"The great Malfoy needing my help?"

She smirked as she watched Malfoy's face furrow. He was irked. "Whatever Granger, I'll do it myself."

She watched him begin to walk away and she sighed. With a curious stare, the brunette watched him move through the shelves, looking more the lost the further he went. And Hermione, well, she was always a sucker for a lost cause. "Damnit." she muttered before leaving the till and walking to the rigid blond. "Let me help you Malfoy. You know nothing about my shop. You'll lose one of my books, or worse…break one of them. What are you looking for?"

The blond looked at her strangely and Hermione stood there, her face telling him just to spit it out. Eventually, he relented. "I need books on elven mythologies."

The brunette furrowed her brow. "Okay…Give me a moment. There isn't a lot of stuff on that topic, but I think I know of where to start."

She left his side, moving to the back to the store to the miscellaneous books. She scoured the novels, moving titles aside to look at other ones. "Ah! Here it is!" she pulled it out, tenderly rubbing the title with her thumb. " _Evanescence_." She held it out to him. "This book focuses on mythical beings and their rituals and beliefs. They mention high elves. I assume that's what you're looking for since a common elf has copious amounts of sources for it."

"Thanks." Malfoy reached out to grasp the book from Hermione. As he did so, his fingers lightly brushed hers and her eyes flashed gold. Hermione pulled back drastically and then feigned the action. "Let me ring that up for you." and she rushed to the till.

What had just happened?

…

After Malfoy had left Hermione stood in shock at her till. Her hands had gone deathly white, her face pale and she knew if she looked in a mirror her eyes would be solid gold. "No, no, no, no…it can't be him." she whispered to nothing. Or, at least she though it was nothing until someone answered her mutterings.

"What can't be him?"

Hermione head shot straight up and looked to the voice. Luna stood before her, dressed whimsically as usual with unnaturally observant eyes, staring at her intrusively.

The brunette collapsed onto the front desk. "It's him. I'm doomed."

Luna tilted her head as she came to Hermione's side. "I'm a little confused worm. Who is it? Wait…you said it's him…does that mean you found your mate?"

Hands dragged themselves over the brunette's face as she rose herself to a sitting position. "I think I might close early. I need a drink and I certainly can't drink at work." She turned to face her friend. "You have incredibly convenient timing Owly." Hermione grinned at the nickname.

Luna smiled serenely. "Shall we head to your flat? I suppose you'll want to talk about what happened."

Hermione sighed, running a hand through her lion's mane. "Most definitely." She moved to the doors, locking each one as quickly as possible. She flipped the signs and then grabbed her things. "C'mon. We'll floo there."

Luna nodded and joined the witch at the fireplace. They stepped in, as Hermione grabbed some powder. She threw it down while shouting "My flat!" And in a puff of green smoke, they were gone.

…

Draco stood in his flat, mulling over the strange discovery he had made. He certainly had not expected Granger, of all people, to be working in a muggle bookshop. Didn't she work at the ministry? The blond shook his head. He had other matters to attend to. Tightly holding onto the recommendation from the Gryffindor, the Slytherin sat himself down in front of his fireplace, flicking his wand to light it while opening the book to it's table of contents. He scanned the script to find significant words until he landed on Elves. He opened to the given page and began to read aloud, a nasty habit of his according to his father and Kerli.

" _The third clan of elves is the Teleri or, the Sindar 'Grey Elves.' The Teleri are unusually beautiful and the only difference between the men and women is the means of reproduction._ " Draco paused. He scanned further down until he settled on what he sought after. " _Like all High Elves, the Teleri are similar to men except for their immortality and their understanding of marriage. While men may marry more than one, a Teleri, like other High Elves, will bond to one. Many have questioned whether high elves have gene similar to Veelas that causes the need to bond with one individual, but the notion was quickly dismissed. Veelas are too close to being animals while High Elves are closer to being men._ "

The blond sighed. While the information was relevant it didn't quite explain the idea behind fading. But…there were some things that stuck out which made Draco wonder about his father's parentage. He had many traits, that according to this book, were Teleri.

His floo flashed then and Draco wondered who could be bothering him at this hour. Of course, it was none other than Kerli, who's glasses were askew, and she awkwardly stumbled out of his fireplace, bringing an abnormal amount of soot with her.

"Sorry."

"Kerli, it is 5 in the evening. You know I don't like to be bothered past four. What is it?"

"I'll excuse your grouchy attitude for a hormonal imbalance. However, I did manage to find something interesting…wait…what book do you have?"

"It's called Evanescence."

"Oh. Have you read page 267?"

"No. Why?"

Kerli grinned. "You'll want to. I was going to bring you the copy I found but it appears you've got one yourself. Did Hermione give it to you?"

"She did."

Kerli nodded. "Isn't she brilliant? One word and that's all it takes for her to get your what you need. I love that woman."

Draco chose to ignore the fawning of Granger. Who cared how _brilliant_ she was when his father had some mystical ailment? Not him certainly. The blond did as his secretary suggested, opening the book to the designated page. His brow furrowed as he absorbed the ink.

" _Fading is the sign of an elf who has no partner. The usual cause is that their partner passed on, sailing away to Valinor leaving the elf pining in loss. The other is that they elf has not yet found their other and believes they never will. The final, at rarest of the three, is that the elf has found their partner but firmly believes they can not bond with them. Fading occurs different for each elf, but the result is the same. Eventually, one day, the elf will have passed on. Fading is not a painful way of death, but it is emotionally toiling if all hope is lost."_

Draco sighed. "So, what? My father is fading because he lost my mother? She's with him now. Why can't he just stay with her? Though, I suppose from our conversation earlier that isn't a possibility. Then again…he could have met his mate when he was younger before the marriage came into effect."

"Doesn't you pops know?"

The blond shook his head. "Not that he's told me."

"Have you asked?"

"Well…no."

Kerli rolled her eyes. "Might be the place to start. You know…I bet you could learn more from novels about Veelas."

"I suppose. There were studies done to see if High Elves and Veelas shared a gene."

"It makes sense. I mean, Veelas spend their whole life searching for their mate. If they don't find them then they do what's known as pining. It's pretty much fading but instead in a more animalistic sense I guess. Veelas are just as breathtaking as High Elves they just have significant other. High Elves can have multiple options, they just choose the one best fitting them."

Draco thought about what Kerli had said. She had made some enlightening points. "I suppose you're right. I guess I'll go see my father then."

"Good idea. Oh! You know, I bet we could get Hermione to help us with this."

That made Draco stop in this tracks. He turned around to look at Kerli, his whole posture stiff in distaste. "That, is a _terrible_ idea."

"Why not? She's intelligent, and she knows a heck of a lot about mythical creatures. You know she wanted to work in the creature department at the Ministry? Don't know why she didn't go for it but she'll be full of all sorts of useful knowledge that we'll probably need."

"No Kerli. We have a colourful history."

"It can't be that bad."

Draco gave her a droll look. "She hates me."

Kerli chuckled. "Hermione doesn't hate anyone. Sure, she can vent her immense dislike about her next-door neighbour but actually hating someone? Nah, she leaves that to the Voldemort fanatics."

The blond shook his head. "No. That's non-negotiable. We do this on our own."

Kerli sighed. "Sure boss, whatever you say."

Draco nodded solemnly as he got up from his chair, placing the book on the table and walking past Kerli to the kitchen. "Thank you for this. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course. See you tomorrow."

Kerli watched as Draco disappeared and with a gleam in her eye, flooed herself away to a different location.

…

"So, Draco Malfoy is your mate."

"It would appear so."

"Did you double check?"

"Well…no."

"Hermione Granger not double checking? Will wonders never cease."

The brunette huffed while rolling her eyes. "It was so sudden. I panicked. Plus, it's _Malfoy_. Merlin knows touching him, freely, would be a sign of insanity."

Luna shrugged. "Maybe. But it could have been a fluke. I remember reading in one of your books that Veelas will be drawn to things resembling their mates. It's like a way of hinting what you should look for. Maybe Draco has qualities that your mate has."

Hermione pondered the possibility. "It must be a fluke. There is no way I would be drawn to Malfoy intentionally. I just need to figure out what it was that made me freak out."

Luna sipped her tea to hide her amused smile. If only Hermione saw her eyes shining bright gold at the mere saying of Draco's name. Luna had always called the blond Draco, but in this moment chose to say it intentionally, just to see the reaction from the veela. And, as she suspected, despite the brunette's ignorance her veela was certainly aware and from the understanding of the species, was beginning to stir a vengeance.

Hermione was going to be certainly surprised by her heritage. A strange feeling then came over the Ravenclaw and she turned to the fireplace to see it glowing green. "Hermione…"

"Yes?"

"Were you expecting someone?"

"No. Why?"

"Well…your floo is active."

Hermione frowned. "Someone's trying to get in. It wouldn't be Harry, he's not home and it's not Ginny, she's in France for her tournament. Strange. Give me a moment."

The Gryffindor stood up and went to her fireplace to see who was attempting to come in. She waved her wand, momentarily adjusting the floo to let the person come in. "Aren't you worried about it being a fanatic?"

"No. My wards are quite strong. They'll keep anyone with ill-intentions out." Hermione put away her wand and waiting for the arrival. Out of nowhere, a bright green flash occurred and out stumbling came none other than Kerli, one of Hermione's regulars.

"Kerli! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Hermione. Oh, hello. Didn't see you there. I'm Kerli, Hermione's favourite customer." Said the older witch whose hand was stuck out facing Luna. The blonde smiled and shook it. "Luna."

"Oh, your friends with Draco, aren't you?"

"I am. I'm assuming you are?"

Kerli nodded, grinning. "Amongst other things. Hey, I heard you had a run in with him. He wasn't meek, was he?"

Hermione looked incredulously at Kerli. "Hardly."

"Good. He told me you two had a rough history. Didn't explain the details, not that I asked or anything."

"Kerli…how do you know Malfoy?"

"Oh. He's my boss."

"You work for him!?"

"Yup."

"What does he even do?"

"Mostly freelance work with tutoring on the side. Why? Is it important?"

Hermione gaped and quickly shut her mouth. "Uh no. Not really." Luna simply continued sitting at the table amused at the whole situation. " _How awkward_." she thought. _"Hermione trying to learn more about Malfoy unintentionally. Looks like her veela is already on the move."_

"right Well. As to why I'm here. Hermione, I need your help. Well, not me per say but…well…read this." Kerli thrusted a book into Hermione's hands. She looked at the cover and realized it was the book she had given Malfoy. "Um…"

"You know about fading right?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure Lucius is fading."

"Lucius who…wait…Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes. Draco, he's worried. Dutifully so, and if he loses it father it's going to hurt him. Majorly. And I can't see him go through that kind of anguish. He doesn't deserve that pain, not after the war."

Hermione looked at the book in her hands and then to her friend, before staring and Luna. The Ravenclaw shrugged as she spoke. "How long do we have?"

"I don't know. Draco doesn't know what cause it, the idiot didn't ask. Then again, he didn't even tell me about his father. I figured it our. Hermione, you're the brightest witch of our age. Can you help? Please? I don't know who to ask without alerting the media."

"I…" sputtered out the brunette, still in shock from the revelation. She found her heart hammering and words incoherent as the attempted to free themselves from her mouth.

"Look, I know you two have a difficult past or something but…I need this. _He_ needs this. Consider it a way to satisfy your endless curiosity. Think about what you could learn! About an elven myth!" said Kerli, in a desperate attempt to convince the brunette to help Draco. Hermione looked once more to Luna for a bit of guidance.

"She'll do it."

"Luna!" Finally, words could come out.

"Hermione, Worm, consider this your opportunity to double check."

Hermione crossed her arms, her eyebrows fuming to the idea. "Seriously?"

" _Draco_ needs our help Worm."

Luna watched as those eyes flashed gold and Hermione turned her eyes to Kerli, in almost a trance. "We'll do what we can." The older woman nodded in thanks. "Okay. Draco has no idea I told you so…well…I'll figure out how to tell him. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that Kerli disappeared into the fire and flooed away. The moment she was gone Hermione shook her head, as if a fog was lifting. "What in bloody hell just happened?"

Luna chuckled. "You're getting your double check."

"Right. _Merlin_ this better not bite me in the arse."

…


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. I am merely dabbling in their realms._

Enchanted

Chapter 2

 _"It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

 _― Jonathan Franzen, The Correction_

The next few days were tedious, as Draco tried to find a way to approach his father, especially in his fragile state. He didn't want to provoke the fading to be faster, but he certainly didn't want to just let it rest for several days. He had already let too many pass.

He flooed into the parlor, quickly glancing around but finding no Lucius figure around. He lightly brushed off the soot and powder as he moved further into the room, passing the chairs and lounges to enter the foyer. The main staircase lay there, covered in cobwebs and dust. Apparently, the elves had revolted and left the manor. Unsurprising, Draco considered, figuring that with the separation they would need to take sides. Most of the elves preferred his mother so it would make sense they would leave with her.

The blond continued to move throughout the house until he reached his father's study. He knocked once, waited for a moment, before the door opened, revealing his father's only house elf, Noona, who gestured for him to come in.

"Thank you Noona."

"You're very welcome Mister Draco."

"Father?"

Lucius raised his head from the novel he was reading to regard his son. "Draco, what brings you here?"

"I've been researching your case."

"Son, you don't need to do that."

Draco sighed. "I know. But fading isn't an answer to your problems. If there's even a remote possibility that we can find your partner to form a bond…I want to take it."

Lucius looked at his son with saddened eyes. "I'm afraid it is a lost cause."

The younger Malfoy moved to sit across from his father, staring at him pensively. "What do you mean? There are only three reasons for fading. Has your significant other passed?"

"I am…not sure. I would have to find them first."

"So, you don't even know then. Well, that rules out the possibility of it being someone from your younger days. I suppose that's a relief."

"Draco, you must realize when I was a child I had limited interactions with others, especially those of other houses and class."

The young Malfoy wrinkled his brow. "That makes things much more complicated."

"Indeed."

The duo sat in silence, Draco wondering just how to save his father while Lucius questioned whether it was a good idea to pursue this path. He had begun to resign himself to his end but his son, bless his soul, had other ideas.

"Father…"

"Yes?"

"Do you…have any idea of who your partner could be? Any inklings? Any prospects?"

"No. Then again, I am not sure what I should be looking for."

Draco nodded. That made sense. His father probably had done minimal research and chose to stop investigating as evident by his body. "I've got Kerli helping us. I didn't tell her what was happening but I'm sure she's figured it out."

Lucius smiled. "She is quite dependable, isn't she?"

"That she is. You know…she asked me to go to Granger for help. Out of all people… _Granger_."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps that is not a terrible idea."

"Excuse me?" said Draco, looking incredulously at his father. "It is, most certainly, a terrible idea. It's _Granger_."

"The brightest witch of our age as her donned title calls her. A formidable woman who, from the murmurings throughout the elite, is an individual who knows what to look for when you need it most. Though, she has disappeared from the media. She would very hard to find."

"Hardly," muttered Draco, who cursed his luck for being sent to her domain. Merlin _knew_ that the fates were working against him in that regard. He certainly had no desire to ever interact with the Gryffindor ever again, though both his father and Kerli had very different ideas apparently.

 _"A mere coincidence. Nothing more."_ thought the younger Malfoy.

"Son, I know the two of you have been atrocious to each other. Perhaps this is an opportunity to redeem yourself in her eyes. Merlin knows you've carried the guilt far too long."

"Father…"

"If you will not do it for you, then do it for me. If you insist on going down this path to… _cure_ me, so to speak, then we will need all the help possible."

Draco huffed. "I dislike the idea of bringing an anomaly in."

"I understand that Draco."

At that moment a loud shout was heard in the manor, causing the Malfoy men to exchange worried glances. Draco stood up to open the door when Noona beat him to it.

"Mister Draco, there is a witch in the parlor!"

"Who?"

"I don't know Mister Draco. Does Mister Draco want Noona to get rid of witch?"

"No, no. I'll go see who it is."

Noona nodded and disappeared, leaving the men to their own devices. "I'll be back father. I'm just going to check the parlor. The wards didn't warn us so I'm not entirely worried about who it is."

"I will come with you."

"That won't be necessary."

"I'm coming with you Draco."

The younger Malfoy nodded in reluctance as he left to the parlor. Merlin, he hoped the witch, whoever she was, was not as dense as her actions led him to believe.

…

Since the departure of Kerli and after a good night's sleep, Hermione had been learning all she could about the high elves and their belief of fading. She couldn't help but draw parallels to her own heritage for fading and pining were very similar. She noted the similarities between veelas and high elves and she pondered the idea if the Malfoys _were_ high elves.

It seemed impossible and yet…there just were too many signs to defeat the rational. The hair, the _power_ …the Malfoys had always been exceptional beings of magic. Perhaps this was the reason why. Malfoy certainly had given Hermione a run for her money in school with their classes. He was just as talented as she, perhaps just being a little bit less powerful. Of course, Hermione knew her talent for magic was tied in with her muggle-born side as well as her veela. The ancient magic of a veela tied in with the raw energy of being a muggle-born had aided her during her time at Hogwarts. She supposed that, if what she was discovering was true, the high elves ancient magic tied in with the energy of the Malfoys line would result in quite a powerful specimen.

So, if Lucius Malfoy was a descendant of a high elven line, how did one find his bonded? It had to be similar to how a veela finds their mate. There were far too many resemblances between the two to deny it.

Hermione picked up her phone and dialed Luna's number. "Luna? Yes. I think I'm going to need your expertise. I need some results for my hypothesis. You will? Excellent. No, I haven't heard from Kerli yet. No, I am not going to _just go over there_. Luna! No, you can't! _Fine._ If you're going, I'll come with you. See you soon."

The brunette hung up the phone, her lips pursed in annoyance. Damn the blonde for twisting her arm. Hermione certainly _could not_ leave Luna alone with Malfoy. Harry would kill her. She didn't care if they were friends, the two blonds. Sometimes Luna was too trusting of others.

She began to grab her things she needed. Her books, notes, a few quills, a bottle of ink, and lastly her wand. She slipped everything into her satchel before dashing to her fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder and whisking herself away the manor to meet her friend.

…

Upon arrival, Hermione had not expected such a grand room. Luxurious chairs scattered themselves around the fireplace to form a semi-circle with a small table in-between resting an empty vase and…

"A first edition copy of Hogwarts A. History." gasped Hermione, who momentarily forget the reason for her arrival. She gingerly picked up the book, blowing off the thick coat of dust before sitting in one of the fancy chairs. Her feet tucked themselves under her legs as she began to read the book with a childlike delight.

The more she read, the more unaware Hermione became to her surroundings. So, it was no surprise that she did not notice the elf appear in the room, gawk and then disappear with a pop. Nor did she notice the arrival of the two Malfoy men, one who stood there merely dumbstruck while the older one simple tilted his head in curiosity.

"Granger." sputtered out the younger Malfoy. Hermione remained impassive, too consumed by the text to even hear the blond. Draco walked over to the Gryffindor and waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing. He knelt, warily resting his fingers on the novel to tip it downward. "Granger."

That snapped her out of whatever trance she was in. Her eyes were burning gold before they melted to their original brown. Draco furrowed his brow in puzzlement. Hermione meanwhile snapped the book shut, sheepishly placing it on the side to distract herself, and more importantly her _veela_ , from the too close blond.

She quickly stood to the side of the room. Hermione stared at Malfoy before realizing his father was there as well. At first, fear seized her but upon further inspection of the elder, she realized _why_ Kerli had wanted her help. The older Malfoy was incredibly thin, leaning heavily on his cane for support. It was almost as if he couldn't stand on his own two feet anymore. His eyes held gigantic bags under them and he appeared exhausted. The fear dripped away and was replaced with a feeling of solidarity. Despite his horridness, the veela in Hermione found a commonality with the elder wizard and that was enough to rid the witch of her judgments. She certainly was still reluctant, but one look at Malfoy made her icy heart melt a tad to the situation.

"Malfoy."

"Granger. _What_ are you doing in the manor?"

"Um…well…"

As luck would have it, the manor's floo flared to life, with Kerli coming out of the brick, closely followed by Luna. Kerli adjusted her glasses before realizing that she had an audience.

"Oh! Hermione! You made it! I'm sorry I just…oh…hello Draco. I see you've…met Hermione. Well…I suppose this will make things a tad bit easier." Kerli looked around the room embarrassedly. "I know you didn't want me to ask for her help, but I couldn't listen to that nonsense. We would be hopeless without her."

Draco turned to look at his father. "Were you in on this?"

Lucius shook his head. "No. This was all her doing."

Kerli looked over at Lucius. "You told him to work with Hermione on it?"

"I suggested the idea, yes."

Kerli smiled. "Even your father agrees with my brilliance."

The blond rolled his eyes. "And why are you here Luna?"

"Hermione asked for my help."

That caused a scowl on his face. "Why? You're a healer."

At this moment, Hermione had come out of whatever reverie she had been in, which seemed to keep happening. The brunette frowned, wondering why she kept zoning out only to come back in. Her heart had slowed down a bit but was faster than normal. She shook the thoughts away. She could focus on that later.

"That's exactly why Malfoy. Luna is an excellent healer. If we're going to help your father, we'll need to do some tests. I have a theory, but I need it confirmed first before I can begin to figure out _why_ your father is fading. Luna will handle the procedure to get me my results. That _won't_ be a problem will it?"

Before Malfoy could answer her, the elder wizard intervened. "That will be fine, Ms. Granger."

Hermione's eyes strayed to the older man, curiosity in them with a hint of anger. Noticing this, Luna placed a calming hand on the witch, smiling serenely at her. She whispered in Hermione's ear. "He's not a threat Hermione. He's quite nice actually. Give him a chance to prove himself."

"Luna!"" Hermione hissed back at her, daggers in her eyes. "That's ridiculous! He's _horrid_!"

The blonde continued to stare at the brunette with her doe eyes. "The war is over Worm. Now is the time for second chances. Don't become a shell of hatred and ignorance. That's why you left Ron after the war."

Hermione's body sagged out the tension it had been holding. Luna was right. Before Hermione had discovered her heritage, she had been entwined with Ron. But the war left its scars and for the ginger…it became too much of a divide between them. Hermione had never been one for emotions but with Ron, that's all he was. He lashed out at her, at his family, at Harry…anyone really. He refused to get help and became a fright. So, Hermione had left quickly and quietly. She didn't look back, not once and vowed to never let her anger consume her the way it did him. He lost much in the war, but so had so many others.

Her eyes went to Malfoy, who was looking at her strangely. He had lost much in the war too. She sighed. If she wanted to be different than her ex, she had to let go of the past and start fresh. Hermione squeezed Luna's hand letting her know she was alright. The Ravenclaw grinned and gestured for Hermione to go to Malfoy.

She walked over to him and outstretched a hand. "Call this a second chance. The war's over. We're not children anymore and therefore should stop acting like it. I'll help you and your father. Clean slate. What do you say?"

…

Draco stared impassively at the hand, but his mind was spinning in circles. He could not fathom the sudden change in the witch. She had always been a compassionate soul in Hogwarts but _certainly not_ to the likes of him. His eyes looked into hers, searching for any sort of lie. As usual, her benignity shone through brightly, causing Draco to be overtaken by her genuineness. "Clean slate," he said as he grasped her hand firmly and shook it.

What he did _not_ expect was for her eyes to turn to an exquisite gold and for her mouth to form a little o. In fact, she began to _lean_ into him. "Granger?" he spoke, perturbed by her actions. That seemed to snap her out of it and she stumbled back, panting with wide eyes directed to the floor.

"Granger are you alright?"

"I'm fine Malfoy."

He looked at Kerli who shook her head in confusion. He stared at Luna next, who had a twinkle in her eye. Despite the twinkle, she shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't know anything either. The blond shook the bewilderedness off but not before looking over to his father who was looking at Granger inquisitively.

He'd focus on that later.

"Well! Now that that's settled, Draco you and I are going to go to the library and set it up as our little headquarters. Luna, you and Hermione can do what you need to with Lucius. Does that sound good to everyone?"

The group nodded and Kerli smiled, grabbing Draco's wrist and dragged him off the library. Luna went to Hermione, placing a hand sympathetically on her shoulder.

"Did that confirm it for you?" she whispered, so Lucius would not hear. Hermione's voice shook as she answered. "Yeah…yeah, it did. Are my eyes…?"

Luna titled the head towards her. "No. They've gone brown again."

"Good. _Good_."

"Ms. Granger, Luna, shall we head to the kitchen? I suppose that will be the most convenient place for you to run your tests."

"That sound lovely Lucius. Come on Hermione, we've got some things to do."

…

Hermione watched as Luna stuck a needle into Mr. Malfoy's skin. He winced at the slight pain before resuming his normal, tired face. Luna drew out blood from his vein, before ejecting it into a clear cylinder.

"I'll need a few more samples of blood as well as other bodily fluids. I'll need a few hairs too."

"Is all this truly necessary?" he asked.

"Of course. Each part of your body that I'm taking will have slight alterations in them. Together, they form you. So, if we are to confirm Hermione's theory, we need to test everything."

"Do you know much about the body Ms. Granger?"

"A bit. I originally studied to become a healer. But…that fell through."

"Really? I'm surprised. A witch like yourself would have no issue in that field I would imagine."

Hermione shrugged. "Things changed."

Luna smiled apologetically for Hermione's abruptness. It was a bit of a sore subject with the brunette, the blonde knew, so she did her best to evade.

"How are you feeling Lucius?"

"Fine Luna. Though I will feel better once there is no more need to draw my blood." The Ravenclaw chuckled. "Of course. Well, I've got all the blood I need. Now for urine samples. Take these containers and fill them up. Half with urine and the other half with sperm."

Lucius looked embarrassed at Luna's blatant tone. "Right. Yes. Give me a moment." He scurried out of the kitchen and Hermione let out a laugh she had been holding in.

"I didn't expect _Lucius Malfoy_ of all people to be flustered by bodily fluids."

Luna snickered herself. "It's quite normal. But I suppose for a man of such stature it's unusual. While he's doing that though, shall we talk about your little revelation?"

Hermione sighed. "It's him. There's no denying it. I got my double check and it is, most certainly, him."

"How are you feeling about it?"

"I don't know. Part of me is relieved that I've found my mate but the other part…"

"Is angry that it's Draco?"

Hermione's eyes flashed gold at the mention of his name. "No. Not angry just…worried."

"Why would you be worried?"

"I always figured I'd marry for love. That when I met the one, I'd be head over heels. When my veela heritage came about, I was angry at how it was stopping me from my future goals but happy that it meant I'd find the perfect match for me. But to know that it's him…Luna, we _despise_ each other. He bullied me for years, and I know the later years at Hogwarts was him being forced. _I know this_ , but I just…I don't if _I can_ …and my veela is going to push me to him and…I'm petrified that I'll lose my mind. That my veela will take over and just…I'll lose me and become some… _shell_ of my former self."

"Those are all reasonable worries Hermione. But, I think you're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

" _He is_ your perfect match. Your veela wouldn't have led you to him if he wasn't it. And you were already showing signs that it was him beforehand."

"What do you mean?"

"Your favourite kind of truffle. What is it?"

"White chocolate."

"Exactly. White like his hair. And you always wear silver jewelry instead of gold because he's a Slytherin and silver was one of their colours.

"Those are just coincidences."

"You prefer warmer seasons than colder ones because he was born in June. You love reading books, but especially ones focusing on aristocrats because he's one. You like peppermint hot chocolate better than orange hot chocolate because the smell reminds you of him. You prefer dragonhide gloves than regular, cheap ones because the expensive quality reminisces his persona. Despite arriving at a place that caused you pain, you acted as if you always had lived there, because he had been there. And you always had a special place in your heart for lost causes, because deep down you resonated with the fact that he _was_ one in our finishing year at Hogwarts. It's always been there. Your heritage didn't flourish until you graduated but it started blooming earlier on. I think subconsciously you always knew, you just didn't want to admit the possibility."

Hermione stood there in stunned silence. As much as she wanted to protest, Luna was once again, right. The signs had been there, pointing directly towards him. How could she have been so blind?

"Don't fret about it Worm. It won't do you any good. What matters now is that you know. So, take that knowledge and let yourself fall in love with him. Remove your pride. It'll be the only thing stopping you from being with your _perfect match_."

Lucius then entered the kitchen carrying the several vials, now filled with various liquids. Luna graciously accepted them, moving away from Hermione's side back to her post at the counter. She began to wave her wand, analyzing the fluids, the earlier conversation now left to dwell in Hermione conscious.

…

Draco had been practically dragged to the library with Kerli acting as if the situation was life and death. Well, _it was_ , but it wasn't his death that was imminent. When they got to the gargantuan room, the women let go of the blond's wrist and flounced her way into stacks of books.

"Was it really necessary to drag me through the halls of my old home to get me here? I could have done without the iron grip."

"Sorry. I just…it got a little weird in there and I wanted to get you out. What _was_ that?"

Draco had been wondering the same thing. "I have no clue."

"Well, whatever it was, it made the air awkward and with your father already feeling out of place, he really did not need their addition of gawkiness added on."

"What exactly are we looking for in here? The last time I did inventory I didn't find anything that would help us with our case."

"Of course you wouldn't. We don't want facts, we want legends. Fairytales. The fantasy that people dream up. Fiction."

"Because that's where you can, surprisingly, learn more about bonding. It'll be dramatized but still hold some accuracy. Clever."

Kerli grinned. "I thought so. Now that we're on the same wavelength, where would one find books of such caliber?"

Draco moved to the shelves, his fingertips lightly grazing the novels as he skimmed the titles. "Most likely by my mother's section of the library. She had always been more invested in ardour than reality."

"Where is your mum anyway?"

"My guess is with the divorce going to be finalized, she left. The manor is a Malfoy heirloom which means she would no longer be welcome unless my father allowed her to be. And there would be no point in that now."

"Wait…your pops is divorcing your mum?"

Draco looked up from the book he had grabbed and started reading to lock eyes with Kerli. "Yes, but don't tell him I told you. He…didn't want anyone to know."

"I won't. But, if he needs to talk to someone, I can lend an ear. I've been divorced myself."

"You were married before?"

"Yeah. To a muggle. It…well…it didn't work out, so I ended it."

"I'm sorry."

Kerli shrugged. "It was a long time ago. There's no need to dawdle on the past. Besides, I've met a lot of great people since then, like you and your pops for instance."

Draco rubbed his neck guiltily. "Many would disagree with you."

"Well, then they can go fuck off. You and your pops are awesome individuals. You helped me out when I was living practically out of a _pit_. You invest in charities, you spend time with obnoxious children to make them better, you _encourage_ those kids to be better than their parents, you're open-minded and no longer a prejudiced swot."

At this point Kerli that taken Draco's face in her hands, her green eyes blaring intensely to his and sincerity rolling off of her in waves. "You're one of the good ones Draco, let no one tell you otherwise," she spoke in a motherly tone.

"Thank you, Kerli."

"You are very welcome. Now, let's get cracking! These novels are not going to read themselves. Man, I wish we had Hermione here, she'd absorb these in a heartbeat."

Draco smiled at Kerli's enthusiasm, admiring her momentarily for her strength and belief in him. Her words then brought his mind to focus on Granger, the strange, occasionally golden eyed witch, who was currently downstairs with his father and Luna.

Why had her eyes gone to gold? He had never heard of such an occurrence with a wizard or witch before. Was she sick? No, eyes wouldn't momentarily flash gold if someone was sick. It certainly couldn't be that she was having issues with magic. So what _was_ it?

Draco couldn't help but begin to imagine the golden irises in his eyes. They were…pretty. No, not pretty, _breathtaking_. It had certainly robbed him temporarily of his voice before he finally came to and spoke. And when she pulled back the gold went to her normal, brown irises. Now those…those were pretty eyes. Soft, demure, with a strong ire that could spark immediately if provoked.

Those eyes…were more than pretty, he thought to himself. Those ones were _enchanting_. Gold was nice but the brown…

Draco shook his head. Why was he thinking about Granger's eyes? "I must be going mad." He murmured to himself, running a hand through his platinum locks. "Downright _insane_."

"Did you say something Draco?"

"No. No. I'm fine."

He attempted to distract himself by beginning to read his mother's novels. Draco opened the book to the first page and groaned as he read the first couple of lines out loud.

 _"She was a thing of beauty, with rich, chocolate locks that cascaded down her back and chestnut eyes that dared to be defied."_

The fates most _certainly_ had it out for him as Granger's eyes mocked his sanity.

…


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. I am merely dabbling in their realm._

Enchanted

Chapter 3

 _"It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

 _― Jonathan Franzen, The Correction_

Hermione sipped her tea quietly as she read the novel on high elves before her at her front counter in her store. She hadn't had any customers in a while which had allowed for the break in working.

And that was how Harry Potter found her. He grinned at her antics, knowing full well that Hermione would be near impossible to break out of her trance as she read. He walked over, gently shaking her shoulder and patiently waited for her to come to.

"Oh! Harry! Hello!"

The witch reached over the counter to hug her friend before slipping the book under the counter. "What brings you here?"

"Luna told me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course, she did. Merlin, that woman can't keep anything from you, can she?"

Harry chuckled. "She's my girlfriend. She doesn't want to."

"That's _one_ way of putting it."

"So, Malfoy huh?"

"Yes. Apparently, my veela side is not as intelligent as my witch one. It's unfortunate."

"I think you're being pessimistic. I mean…have you even _tried_ to get to know him since you started working on his father's case?"

"She told you that _too_!?"

" _Girlfriend_. And don't avoid the question."

Hermione sighed. "It's not that I haven't tried I just…it's difficult. He's so…"

"Captivating?" mocked Harry, fluttering his eyelashes. Hermione whacked him on his arm. "Hey!" he shouted, rubbing the injury.

"You deserved it, prat. And no, not captivating… _frustrating_. Every time I try to say anything to him, _remotely_ civil, he just…raises that one damn eyebrow and walks away."

Harry snickered at the slight blush that rose to her cheeks as she mentioned Malfoy's eyebrow. "I can see how that would be annoying."

"And if I choose silence, he becomes inquisitive! He asks questions about every little thing I do! Honestly, if he wasn't my mate I'd murder the bloody idiot."

Harry hid a grin. "Sounds terrible."

"He is, quite possibly, _worse_ than he was before. At least he _talked_ to me then."

"I think I'd take silent Malfoy over sneering Malfoy any day."

"You're probably right. It just…" Hermione rubbed her chest, wincing as she did so. "Hermione…are you alright?" asked Harry, worry spreading onto his features.

"I'm fine Harry. I'm just…I'm irritated and exasperated by his tendencies. That's all."

Harry's concern did not waver. "Just continue trying to get to know him. Learn the little things, his likes, and dislikes and then use those to your advantage."

"Is that how you won over Luna?"

Harry's cheeks flushed rouge. "If she hadn't been around after the war…I'm a lucky man Hermione. She's one of a kind."

The brunette hummed in agreement. Luna certainly was a unique witch. Her eyes casually glanced towards her friend, who seemed to be daydreaming if his faraway look was anything to go by. Hermione smiled and shook her head. He was beyond smitten. He was dumbstruck in love and she knew Harry wouldn't have it any other way. Now for them to get married…

Her chest began to hurt once more, causing Hermione to rub it tenderly. That broke Harry out of his thoughts and his eyes expressed concern, something that she fluttered away with her hand.

"Luna wanted you to swing by her office by the way. That's the real reason I was supposed to come here. Apparently, she's discovered something that goes with your hypothesis."

"Excellent. That means progress. I guess I should go now since it's practically dead in here. Do you want to come with me?"

"Miss an opportunity to see my girlfriend at work? Never." grinned Harry, who linked his arm with Hermione, leading her to the floo network to whisk themselves away to Luna's office.

…

"Like this Mr. Malfoy?"

"Precisely. Remember, exact amounts are one of the most significant things Kenzi. One slip of the wrong amount and your whole potion could be ruined. Now, what comes next?"

"Three and a quarter turns clockwise then to add in two and a half pinches of pearl dust when the cauldron comes to its boiling point."

"Yes. What colour should the potion be when you've added in the dust?"

"Periwinkle."

"Exactly."

The clock on the wall chimed, indicating that Draco's session was over. He pulled out his wand and waved it over the cauldron. "That is all the time we have for today. Did today's session help you?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Mr. Malfoy."

"It's not a problem Kenzi. Good luck on your exam. You'll do well. You've been catching on to the potions quite quickly. You'll have no problem with tomorrow's test."

The girl nodded, packing up her bag and dashing off to his parlor quickly to go home. He chuckled at her, remembering the days he was always eager to escape his private lessons.

"Draco?"

The blond shut his lab door quietly before engaging with the deep voice. "Yes, father?"

"You have an owl waiting for you in your office."

"Why didn't Kerli tell me?"

"I gave her the day off."

"What!? Why?"

Lucius shrugged. "She works hard and has not had a break in months. She deserves it."

Draco crossed his arms. His father wasn't _wrong_ , but the younger wizard was certainly not fond of the idea of his secretary just taking the day off. Especially with his father's condition.

"Very well then. I'll go see what the owl is about. You should eat something, you're looking thinner than normal."

The older Malfoy waved away his son, though the action made him grimace. "I'll be fine son."

Draco didn't want to leave Lucius unattended, but the owl could be important, especially if it concerned his father. A single nod was all Draco gave before exiting the hall and going to his office. When he arrived, he headed straight for the barn owl that rested itself on the owl stand beside his bird Abraxas, a horned owl my larger than the barn owl. Upon closer inspection when reaching for the letter, Draco noticed the bird's wing had fake feather replaced on it, with some sort of contraption on its leg. A smile bloomed on his face. 'You must be Granger's bird." He chuckled. He fed the bird a treat who nipped him affectionately in response. He flew off and the blond noticed out of the corner of his eye that Abraxas watched keenly the other owl disappear. "Abraxas…" Draco warned but the owl merely hooted and burrowed into itself to sleep.

 _Of course_ , his owl would fall for Granger's. That just seemed to be the way things went for him, didn't it?

A sigh escaped his body as he settled himself into his chair. Draco took a moment to admire the cursive writing of Granger, which held several flourishes and swirls. The wax seal was gold and the blond snorted at the Gryffindor pride. A snicker erupted out of his mouth as he tore into the envelope.

 _"Draco,_

 _Luna finished her examinations and we've come to an intriguing conclusion. However, she would like to test you as well to further test my theory. Can you come by her office for 1? Or would it be more convenient to come to you? Let me know as soon as possible._

 _Hermione."_

Draco paused, briefly checking his calendar before going back to the letter. The words seemed to blur together except for two.

She had used their first names.

All of the sudden, _everything_ felt different. The wax, the script, the letter…it no longer struck him that they were colleagues but… _partners_. He supposed that was true, as they were working together on his father's case but that didn't call for such _familiarity_.

 _Clean slate_. That's what she had asked for. Perhaps this was her extending the olive branch. Draco sighed, faintly tracing her spelling of his name. He could just picture her, sitting at her desk by candlelight, books scattered about in no particular order, with an affluent quill that extended far too long for anything she could afford on a bookkeeper's salary. The firelight would cast a warm glow on her already vibrant skin and those eyes…those molten, _tantalizing_ eyes would soften as she signed her name.

Draco shook his head, scattering those thoughts out of his mind. He needed to remain _stoic_ and _focused_ on the case…not the woman who had enchanted him from their first meeting. It had been far too many years to dredge up those feelings, those yearnings, _those_ …Draco sighed.

Those wishes he had cast upon the stars in the night sky.

He reread the letter again, pulling out a quill to write a response back. When he finished, he signed with his first name, faintly smiling at the action, before tossing it into an envelope and attaching it to Abraxas leg. The owl nuzzled him and then took off into the sky to deliver the letter.

Draco wondered how Granger (or should he call her Hermione now?) would feel about the familiarity of using first names. For a moment, and he let it be brief, his heart flared with the possibility that she'd be just as taken with it as he was and that her smile, the one with a promise tucked in the corner, would appear on her face at the mere sight of his name the way his did oh so long ago.

One could only wish.

…

Hermione stood in her home office's window, waiting for a response back from Malfoy. She tried to keep it professional, but her veela demanded some sort of intimacy as she wrote to him. So, she had chosen to use first names.

It had felt strange, scrawling _Draco_ across the paper and yet, she knew, that it also was so _calming_ as if his name could bring her peace. In fact, the simple action had filled her with ease. She supposed her veela side had something to do with that…though maybe…maybe offering that opportunity made her regular self a smidge more content than before.

There was something so…nice, for a lack of a better word, about using first names. Hermione liked it, however strange, and decided that she would continue to refer to him by his first name. Hopefully, he would do the same.

"Though the effect on my veela would be quite disastrous," she muttered to herself as she left the window to sit down. Luna's results sat at her desk and Hermione read them over once more. So far, the results lined up with what Hermione had predicted. Lucius Malfoy had high eleven blood in him.

"Where from though Lucius?" she whispered to herself. "Where did a high elf enter your line?"

A tapping erupted on her window causing the brunette to turn her gaze. She smiled, opening the glass to let in a gorgeous horned owl into her home. He swooped and nestled itself beside her own owl who had arrived a while ago. Muse seemed quite taken with the other owl, who Hermione could only assume was Malfoy's due to its aura. "Why do we always fall for the Malfoys Muse?" she chuckled, stroking her owl with kindness and offering a treat to Malfoy's as she grabbed the letter.

 _"Hermione,_

 _One will be fine. I'll floo to Luna's office and meet you both there."_

 _Draco."_

Hermione's breath shuddered out of her quickly as her heart flared to life, beating fast, faster than normal. She slammed the letter down and rushed to her bathroom. She threw water on her face, attempting calm down her erratic heart and try to gain some normalcy. Her body, however, had a different idea, becoming tense. Her gums began to ache until shooting pain erupted in them. Hermione gave a cry out before dropping to the floor, where she felt something piercing itself through her gums. Blood oozed out of her mouth as the veela simple lay on the ground, clutching her jaw in agony.

Soon the feeling faded, leaving Hermione a mess on herb bathroom floor. She slowly made her way up, rubbing the now aching cheek. Logically, she knew what had just occurred, but she really, _really_ hoped it wasn't true.

One look in the mirror, however, confirmed it. Now to go along with the gold eyes were _fangs_. Tiny, little, sharp, glistening, white pointers that could puncture skin quite easily.

All because he wrote his first name.

 _Merlin_ , she was not eager to see any more of her heritage come into play. _Especially_ if it meant she was going to be in that much anguish. "What's next?" she muttered to her ceiling before the clock chimed, indicating she was late for her meeting with Draco and Luna.

"He's going to be the death of me."

…

Draco glanced at his watch, wondering just where in the hell Hermione was at this time? The Gryffindor had always been known for her punctuality, eager beaver she was. He looked at Luna, who was writing something down with an amused look on her face.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say Luna _knew_ that he and Granger – _Hermione_ – had begun using first names. Of course, that would be preposterous as it happened via owl, not face to face.

Finally, the floo flared to life, making both blondes raise their heads to regard the individual coming out of the flames.

"Hermione, are you alright?" asked Luna.

A valid question, because the witch _in_ question looked slightly ill, though her eyes certainly were burning bright with indignation. _Who had gotten her wand in a twist?_ The wizard wondered.

"Just peachy. Shall we get going?"

Luna nodded, knowing better than to argue with her friend. "Draco, we're going to do the same tests as we did with your father. We'll get the results quicker since we're already here at St. Mungo's. The first thing I need to do is have you deposit urine and sperm into these vials. If you'll follow me."

Luna grabbed what she needed and left her office, Hermione and Draco in tow. Draco noted that the brunette was keeping much space between them which he found odd. Perhaps she felt the first name thing was awkward? No, because if she felt that way she wouldn't have done it. So, what _was_ it then?

Before he could ask her, Luna stopped, gesturing to a door beside her. "You can do what you need to in there. Here are the vials, fill them to the top. We'll be waiting out here." She shoved Draco into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He looked around the room oddly, taking in the rather bland style of it and obviously desperate attempts to give the men _something_ to do. The blond frowned. He really didn't want to be in the room, especially with Hermione and Luna right outside the door.

…

"Luna, was it really necessary to push him in there?"

The blonde shrugged. "Most likely no, but it's good for his ego. Anyway, let's sit. He might take a while."

The pair moved to the chairs across from the door and sat down. Hermione fidgeted with her strap, while Luna looked on knowingly.

"What?"

"Can we talk about why you came into my office like you had just vomited?"

The brunette sighed. "My fangs came in just now."

"You're what?!"

"My fangs. The ones used to claim a mate. They came in and it was bloody awful."

"I can imagine. We've had a few veelas come in here for medication. Do you want something? Apparently, it just gets worse if you don't actually bite and make a claim."

"No. As long as my wings don't make an entrance I should be fine."

"But _fangs_? What caused them to erupt? They're not supposed to emerge unless there's a significant change in the relationship. Wait…What did the two of you do?"

This was where Hermione strayed her eyes to the door as if she could see through it to the blond behind.

"He used my first name."

"Hm?"

"My first name. When I sent him the letter about what we decided, he responded back. My veela made me use first names and he responded back in kind. It was enough to trigger my heritage and make the fangs come out."

"Wow. So your veela takes that as progress then. Significant progress."

"Apparently so."

"You don't?"

"It just seems odd that names could have that much power. He didn't even say it to my face he just wrote it! It…it doesn't make sense."

Luna looked away, her eyes going to an older couple sitting together in the visiting area away from them. "Hermione."

"Hm?"

"Look at them over there. The older couple."

"What about them?"

"Do you see the way they are holdings hands? Their eyes on one another?"

Hermione watched what Luna was narrating. The couple was so tender with one another and Hermione felt her heart jerk at the intimacy across the way. She rubbed a hand over her chest, willing the slight annoyance to disappear. She watched as one of the women leaned into the ear of the other, causing her partner to giggle before kissing her soundly on the lips. A smile fluttered onto the brunette's face. It was a beautiful scene.

"Look at what they're wearing Worm."

And Hermione did look. And she saw. One of the women was adorned with silver and green, Slytherin colours while the other wore gold and crimson, Gryffindor colours. Despite the obvious house difference, there was no rivalry between the two women.

"They were in opposing houses and yet there is no divide. They looked past their assumptions and fell in love. Why can't you do the same, Hermione? Why must everything have more questions than answers? Why do you need to interrogate everything? Why can't you just let yourself be happy?"

Hermione had no answer to that. She looked at her hands before running them through her hair. Why couldn't she just let go? Her veela wouldn't pick someone she wouldn't suit. She's done her research, she knows he'll be perfect for her in every way…

But she hasn't seen it. Assumptions can only do so much. Until she sees him with her own eyes until she _witnesses_ these changes Luna claims to have happened…she can't give in. Not yet.

"We'll see." Is all she said in response to Luna, who sighed heavily at the words. Today was not going to be the day to make Hermione see, Luna mused to herself.

"How was your lunch with Harry?" asked the Gryffindor, eager for a subject change. Luna complied, aware of Hermione's desire to move on. She could indulge her for now.

"It was quite nice. You could have joined us you know. You didn't need to run off."

"Someone had to owl Malfoy to come."

"Well, it was lovely. We had a good time. Though…he did appear a little bit more fidgety than normal. Do you know of a reason why?"

Hermione shook her head. "He hasn't mentioned anything to me."

"Strange." Hermione silently agreed. It was odd for Harry to be nervous around Luna. Unless…

"All done Luna."

Draco came out of the room, vials full and handed them off to the Ravenclaw, who grinned in response. "Excellent. Head to the cafeteria the two of you, get some food. I'll join in a bit when I get the results."

Luna left quickly after that, leaving Hermione and Draco to stare off in opposite directions. Hermione's gaze landed on the couple again and with a resounding huff, she got up. "Let's go to the cafeteria then. I could use a tea."

She moved right away, not giving him chance to respond but his footsteps told her he was following. His stride matched hers and the pair walked briskly to the cafeteria. Hermione ordered herself a tea when they arrived, while Draco ordered a coffee. Once they received their drinks, the duo sat themselves down by a window, with only two chairs to it.

Silence hung in the air, as neither wanted to speak first. Due to her Gryffindor nature, Hermione figured it would be easier to bite the bullet, so she broke the stillness.

"So…"

Draco rose an eyebrow at her, his face remaining neutral. The witch scolded herself for her lack of eloquence.

"So…"

"How did it uh…go? In there, I mean. I mean, you totally don't have to tell me if you don't want to! Actually, you probably shouldn't. That would be awkward, which would make this awkward and I just –"

"Hermione."

The witch froze in her ramblings, her eyes going wide at the emission. Draco's face was amused, with no smirk but a smile. An actual smile. Hermione felt her heart begin to pound hard and fast, causing her to clutch her chest in a desperate attempt to slow it down.

"Hermione are you alright?"

She shut her eyes tightly, feeling her veela threatening to burst to the surface. She couldn't look at him, for if she did he'd see her eyes blazing gold and her fangs unsheathing. Hermione urged her veela to calm down for _nothing had happened_.

But the creature refused to be tamed.

"Excuse me." She uttered before dashing off to the nearest bathroom. She threw herself into a stall, slamming the door and locking it. She gripped the toilet and forced herself to take deep, calming breaths.

The cold porcelain helped to cool her down until she no longer could feel her fangs with her teeth. "That was close." She breathed out.

The veela stood up and exited the stall, quickly checking her reflection. Brown eyes. Her body relaxed at the sight. Hermione walked to the cafeteria to join the blond again and was startled to see Luna sitting across from him.

Her heart flared violently, causing her to shut her eyes again and swallow down the swelling anger. It was _Luna_ , who was dating _Harry_. She was most definitely not in love with Draco.

The rational eased her veela, allowing Hermione to move to the duo and join them. She nodded to Draco who peered at her oddly. She didn't let his cloudy eyes deter her though. "Did Draco match Luna?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, he didn't. It's just Lucius. I wish I could tell you why but with the results being inconclusive…I just don't have the information needed to answer. It would have been easier to answer if Draco had matched."

Hermione's eyes flashed at the mention of the wizard's name. "So why did the line end with Lucius? Because you have the same qualities that identify as a high elf and yet…only your father seems to actually have the genes."

Luna shrugged while Draco looked on bewildered. "I don't know Hermione. I can run the tests again if that will help."

"No, that won't be necessary." Hermione's mind whirled, deciphering the information she had just learned. Her brow furrowed as her thoughts began to drift towards one conclusion.

"Excuse me, I think I have an idea of why. I just…I need to check first."

"Go then. We won't keep you. I'll inform Draco of what's going on."

Hermione's eyes flashed again at Luna mentioning her name. "Relax Worm. I'm not a threat."

Draco shuffled between the two, not knowing who to lay his eyes on.

"Right. Of course." said the brunette, though her voice indicated that she didn't quite believe it. She turned and headed towards the exit but paused when she heard a pair of familiar footsteps following her.

"What is it?" she asked, turning to face the blond but not daring to utter his name.

"If my father does anything or even tries…let me know. Immediately. I don't think he will but…just in case."

"How did you know I was going to your father."

Draco gave her a wry grin that made her heart speed up. "You're not the only bright one around here. You will let me know, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Good. Good. Uh, well, see you then Hermione."

And before she could utter a goodbye back to him he had disappeared. Him mentioning her name made her fangs begin to appear, so the brunette rushed herself out of the hospital towards the nearest floo station.

…

The parlor was cleaner than when Hermione had first arrived. She grinned at the sight, admiring the antique feel it gave. "Noona?" she called, not wanting to waste any more time on the questions.

The elf appeared with a pop and looked upon the witch in a serious regard. "Yess Miss Granger?"

"Can you take me to Mr. Malfoy? I have some business I want to discuss with him."

"Of course, Miss Granger."

The elf grabbed the witch's wrist and with a snap of her fingers, the pair vanished and then appeared in the elder Malfoy's study. The elf let go and curtsied, before disappearing before Hermione's eyes.

The older Malfoy was looking forlornly out of the gigantic, glass window that was behind his wooden desk. The room was dark, with deep, forest green walls that hung several precious awards. The floor was a chestnut hardwood, with a cumbersome wool rug over it. The only light came from the window and the few lanterns lit around the circumference.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

The chair turned, squeaking as it did so, as the older wizard directed his gaze onto the witch. "Please Ms. Granger, call me Lucius. What can I do for you today?"

"I need to speak with you about the results of Luna's lab tests."

"Of course. Please, sit."

Hermione obliged, gazing on Lucius with prying eyes. "Your results came back with a gene that was unheard of in wizards. The gene was responsible for a fair amount of your appearance and more importantly, you're magical core. Now, your son, on the other hand, does not have this same gene, despite being your kin. This gene wasn't a veela gene, however, despite the strong resemblance it held. Luna and I concluded that this gene was from a high elven line. But…you already know this…don't you?"

Lucius sighed. "Nothing gets past you, does it? Brightest witch of our age indeed. Yes, I know."

"How come your son doesn't have it?"

"The gene only passes down through true bonds. Narcissa and I may have been married but we never bonded."

"But your son has so many traits!"

Lucius smiled softly. "The Malfoy men have always been pale in nature before the Teleri joined our lineage. The blond hair is a significant trait of both lines."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier about your ancestry? You could have saved us so much work."

"It was…a long-kept secret. I was hoping that my son would never learn of it for he was not of the same caliber. As for you and Luna, I do not know why."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You know who she is, don't you? You know who you're bonded is."

Another sigh escaped the older Malfoy. "Ms. Granger, do you know what it is like to live so close to the one your heart longs for and yet know in your mind that it could never occur?"

Hermione took a deep gulp. She knew all too well.

"My bonded, she has never seen me for _me_. Only the boy who tortured her for so many years. She was beneath me and there were others of higher status, who could have just as easily taken her place."

"But you chose her before anyone else came into the picture."

Lucius nodded. "She is special. And deserves much more than what I can offer. I am not a man she could ever love, Ms. Granger. And I have no desire to change her mind. She deserves to loathe me."

"Lucius…how do you know she hates you?"

"Do you not hate my son for what he did to you?"

Hermione gasped, not expecting that response from the older man. She pondered what he said before she settled on her response. "Some days yes, when the war rehashes itself in my dreams, and it threatens to break me. But most days, no. No, I don't."

Lucius stared at her, his face of no emotion but his eyes peering past her exterior. "If you do not hate him, why can't you claim him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do not play daft. It's unbecoming of a woman of your nature. You're a veela, Ms. Granger."

"How did you know?"

"I believe it is because of our species and how similar they are. The moment you stepped foot in our manor, I felt…a kinship I suppose with you. I did not know why at the time until your eyes flashed gold. Then I knew."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was not my place."

"Yes, well, it doesn't matter. I won't force something on him when he doesn't want it."

"And now you see why I am fading, Ms. Granger just as you, are pining."

And as Lucius uttered those words Hermione's eyes widened at the realization. Her early emergence of her fangs, her heart flares, the pain in her chest…

She was pining…which meant her death, just like Lucius's, was looming on the horizon.

…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. I am merely dabbling in their realm.

Enchanted

Chapter 4

"It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."

― Jonathan Franzen, The Correction

Hermione had never been one to drink her sorrows away, let alone rely on alcohol for any reason. But the startling revelation was given to her by none other than Lucius Malfoy, had left her with no other choice.

Well, that wasn't quite true. She could have refused the tumbler Lucius had handed to her when he had grabbed a bottle from his liquor cabinet. But there was something about it being a bottle from 1897 that just seemed so fitting for them to wallow in their miseries.

Perhaps she shouldn't have indulged in the beverage. But now as the room spun before her and she giggled at the older man's words she couldn't help it. It had been, quite possibly, the best decision she had ever made.

"She said…do you know what she said Hermione?" a very drunk Lucius Malfoy spoke to her. He was leaning over his chair, arms dangling over the top with one hand clutching onto a bottle of Odin's finest. His eyes were heavily lidded showing just how far gone he was.

"What did she say Lucius?" an equally trashed Hermione responded. She was sitting at his desk, her legs outstretched on the table while she twirled a fancy quill in her hand, while also stroking the feather and letting it tickle her face.

"Said I was a downright plebe!" The pair shared a look before bursting into laughter. "A plebe? Lucius, you're the most plebian plebe I know!"

The duo's laughter deepened, racking their bodies into coughing fits before continuing their little drunken escapade. "Narcissa is a shitty, shit, shitting, shittest shitter."

"Hermione…you said a bad word!"

The pair erupted into giggles again. Once the joy subsided, however, Hermione found herself standing, making her way over to Lucius. She plopped down on the chair beside him, her eyes becoming wide and somber as tears began to abashedly fall down her rosy cheeks.

"Lucius…I have to tell you something."

As if he was a child, the older Malfoy's gaze matched the witch's perfectly, before he turned his body to face her. He took her hand in his free one, and with the sincerest voice he could, responded. "You can tell me anything."

Hermione nodded. "Draco will never love me despite me loving him."

At this point, Hermione's veela was emerging due to her drunken state, causing her eyes to be shining gold towards the wizard as her fangs unsheathed and twitched at the proximity of how close the older Malfoy was.

"He's a fool. How could anyone not adore you? You're a Gryffindor and everyone wants to be a Gryffindor. And if they can't be one, they want one."

"You're right Lucius. You. Are. Ab. Sol. Lute. Ly. Right. I will DRINK TO THAT!" the brunette exclaimed, chugging the rest of her bottle as Lucius did the same. When the last drop went onto her tongue, Hermione frowned at the bottle, peering inside to see if there was any more left.

"I'm out of alcohol."

"SHHHHHHHHHHH. Hermione someone is coming!" Lucius looked at the witch whose eyes widened in response. He pointed to behind the couch to which she nodded. The pair stumbled over, collapsing behind it just as the footsteps entered the room. The pair giggled before Hermione shushed them, rather loudly, as not to be heard.

It was a frivolous action as Kerli found them. "There you are. Draco! I found them!"

Hermione perked up at the mention of her mate and dragging Lucius with her, settled herself back onto the couch with the older Malfoy by her side. The moment the pair plopped on the piece of furniture, the younger Malfoy entered the room in a huff.

His eyes quickly went to Kerli, who with an amused smirk on her face, pointed to the couch, where Hermione and Lucius sat tittering like toddlers.

"Granger?" he said in shock, wondering just what in Hecate's bloody name she was doing, on a couch beside his father!

"Draco!" she squealed, reaching for him with grabbing hands. He approached her slowly, his eyes momentarily going to his father who seemed to be looking at Kerli with longing. Draco decided he'd ask about that later.

Once he was kneeling in front of the brunette, he noticed her eyes were flaming gold and she had fangs. More importantly, however, was her breath reeked of firewhisky.

"Merlin Granger are you drunk?"

The witch burped in response, before covering her mouth and sniggering behind it. Lucius joined in on the hilarity. That explained their strange, ogling behaviours. Hermione was looking at Draco as if he hung the stars.

But why the hell were her eyes gold? And why did she have fangs? Draco sighed. These needed answers tomorrow, after the drunken idiots slept off the whiskey and…the blond groaned.

"Our 1897 bottle father?"

Lucius hiccupped. "Only the best for my future daughter in law!" The elder raised his bottle to which Hermione raised hers and they air clunked their drinks together.

"Salazar give me strength. Kerli, can you take my father to his room? I'm going to take Granger to a guest room."

"You got it, boss. C'mon Lucius, bucker up."

The older Malfoy graciously wrapped his arm around the older witch with her direction and the pair slowly but surely moved out of the room. Draco looked at the brunette who had begun to play with his hair as he watched his father go. She seemed…serene, a far cry from her earlier behaviour upon his arrival.

"You're so pretty Draco." She whispered, not looking at him but rather his platinum locks. The blond smirked. "You're drunk Hermione," he whispered back. Her eyes sharpened, full of clarity and zoned in on him, and Draco could swear the whole room dimmed as the world shrunk to focus solely on them.

"You said my name."

There was no stuttering, no slurring of words. The sentence rang clear as a bell, leaving Draco speechless. Her eyes were so open, shining like the golden sun that rose in the morning. Her fingers left his hair, trailing down his cheek before faintly tracing his lips. They were feather light. Then she lowered her hand to the couch where she lay.

"Let's go, Granger. We've got to get you to bed." Draco reached under her, lifting her up bridal style and carried her to one of the guest rooms in the manor. She curled into him, breathing in his scent by his neck and Draco had to suppress the urge to pull her in closer. She was drunk and wasn't herself. Hermione would never act this way with him, of that, he was certain.

Upon arrival of the room, Draco set Hermione gently on the bed. She snuggled under the covers, blinking wearily as sleep began to take over her system. The golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight that cast itself into the room causing Draco to be awestruck by them. But it wasn't just the eyes, it was the witch. The blond's heartstrings pulled as he gazed upon the woman, who watched him with the same adoration from earlier.

"Go to sleep Hermione." He whispered, stroking her hair as he spoke. The brunette did as he said, her eyes fluttering shut underneath his touch. The wizard walked to the door and was about to leave until Hermione's words caused him to pause.

"Goodnight my love."

Draco froze, his heart pounding in his chest as he whipped his head back to stare incredulously at Hermione. But she was fast asleep, and he had to repeat the mantra in his head, that she was drunk, and she didn't know what she was saying.

But her golden eyes had told otherwise.

The sun's rays blared itself through the glass window directly onto Hermione's face. Blearily, she opened her eyes only to shut them quickly. It was far too bright in the room. She snuggled further into the covers, that is until a peppermint smell hit her nose causing her to shoot straight up.

Which was a terrible idea as her head pounded against her skull, threatening to burst. The brunette clutched her head, groaning at the pain.

Conveniently, Draco arrived then, carrying a tray of god sending smells that momentarily distracted her from the fact that she was in a bed not her own or the desire of her veela to disappear into the sheets and never appear. The smell of peppermint was far too enamouring to leave the bed.

"Morning." The blond spoke, setting the tray on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed, smirking as Hermione stared at him.

He was dressed in a crisp, collared shirt with a plaid, grey vest and matching pants to boot. The brunette had to admit to herself, the man was quite an attractive specimen.

And that wasn't her veela talking. That was her, a hot-blooded woman acknowledging what was before her.

"How's the hangover."

"Go to hell Malfoy."

The blond chuckled before handing her a pepper-up potion. "For the pounding." Hermione thanked him and proceeded to chug the potion down, plugging her nose as she did so. She cringed at the aftertaste, shaking off the remnants because Merlin was it a disgusting recipe.

"Better?" he asked, the amusement never leaving his face. Hermione took a few deep breaths before looking at him. "Much."

The blond nodded to the tray. "Eat up. I'm sure your stomach will thank you. I don't think you or my father ate anything last night."

The witch reached for the tray and placed it tenderly on her lap. A true English breakfast laid before her and she happily dug in, a groan emitting as soon as she tasted the dish which was divine.

"I'll tell Noona you're pleased. She'll love it."

Hermione covered her mouth to grin in fear of food falling her mouth. For some reason, she felt incredibly happy and light, if she dared to describe the feeling. She was puzzled. She searched herself for a moment, noticing that her veela had gone dormant…Strange.

"By the way, we need to talk."

Hermione swallowed. "What about?"

The wizard shook his head. "After. Eat first, get cleaned up and meet me in my office. If you get lost call for Noona. She'll show you where to go."

A bitter smile erupted on Malfoy's face before he got up and left Hermione's side. She watched him leave the room, finding herself further confused.

What had happened last night?

As Draco walked away from the room where Hermione resided, he ran his hands through his hair. He had been up all night, searching for a reason as to her gold eyes, fangs and the words she uttered so faintly he wondered if she said it at all.

He huffed, frustrated by his lack of results on his searching and wishing the woman would just tell him what was going on. His father was tight-lipped, refusing to tell him what Hermione had said last night.

When those two had gotten so chummy, Draco didn't know. Merlin knew that with those two combined they could easily gang up on him. He shuddered at the thought.

Especially concerning their new-found camaraderie. Something triggered them to bond last night, something big. Draco wanted to know desperately, and he hoped, ficklely, that Hermione would tell him.

But, deep down, he doubted she would. And Luna certainly wouldn't tell him either due to her friendship with the witch in question. And if Luna wasn't telling the Potter wouldn't, not that he was much of an option anyway.

Which only left Kerli and she had about as much knowledge as Draco did.

What had happened last night?

Hermione set her fork down after finishing the meal, but her mind was elsewhere. What had she done last night that could have warranted such an expression? It had to be about last night because there was nothing that she wasn't already aware of concerning Lucius's case.

Speaking of the older Malfoy, Hermione's expression grew worried.

What if Draco asked for an update? She could refuse him, but it would be difficult with her veela demanding to appease him.

Then again, her veela was missing in action…but that could only mean her veela had been sedated by Draco.

Hermione really needed to remember what occurred last night. "Think Hermione, bloody think!"

The witch's eyes fazed out of the world around her as she focused her mind on attempting to recall the events of the previous nights. She vaguely remembered coming to the manor to speak with Lucius. She had asked Noona for directions and the elf had let her to Lucius's office. From there Hermione had confronted the older wizard who then made her sympathize with him.

And then it dawned on her. A sharp pain shot up through her chest and the brunette grabbed it, her fingers digging into her skin as the agony continued. She gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut to will the pain to stop.

Eventually, the annoyance disappeared, leaving Hermione clutching on the sheets while her hand slowly loosened its grip on her chest. She peered down to see bright, red crescents in her skin.

She collapsed onto the bed, groaning as her head hit the pillow. She had to do something to stop the pining… but like Lucius, she didn't want to force Draco into something he didn't want.

"I should talk to Lucius before Draco." She spoke to the air. With that decided, the brunette got up and did as the younger Malfoy had suggested. She cleaned herself up and then headed to Lucius's study.

She didn't know how she knew the way to Lucius, but she managed to find his office quickly and the moment she opened the door, all the memories from last night came rushing back.

She was overtaken for a moment, stumbling back by the sheer force of the assault of the recollections.

"Hermione?" asked a voice that drifted towards her from inside. The witch resumed her calm façade and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She grinned at Lucius, who sat at his desk with a steaming cup of tea that he appeared to be nursing.

"Lucius, how are you feeling?"

"Bloody awful. I believe we indulged too much last night."

Hermione laughed as she settled herself in the chair across from the older blond and his desk. "I agree. We let our…other sides get the better of us."

"Damn genes. We can't hide from them even when we drink our sorrows away."

"So it would seem." Hermione smiled bitterly. "Draco was by my bedside this morning. He brought me breakfast."

"As should be expected. He was raised a gentleman, I would expect no less. What came of it?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about. He said he has something to discuss with me, but he wouldn't tell me what about. I'm a little worried I did something last night."

"Do you think your veela took action?"

"Possibly. It would make sense. Merlin, I hope I reigned it in."

"Perhaps this is a good thing. Maybe it will prolong your pining, if not stopping it entirely."

"I don't think so. Just thinking about it earlier gave me an attack." Said the brunette who rubbed the spot on her chest absentmindedly. Lucius noticed the action and his expression frowned.

"I see."

"Merlin, we were quite drunk, weren't we?"

Lucius chuckled. "We were fairly inebriated yes. Though we were rescued by my son and Kerli."

"How did that go?"

"She was incredibly kind, despite my incompetence. I believe I sprouted a fair amount of nonsense about her beauty, but she chose to overlook those. Though I do recall a smile on her face for the whole trip." Lucius faintly smiled at the memory which caused Hermione to grin. "Progress is progress."

"Indeed. Perhaps you should use your pheromones on my son to send him your way."

"Absolutely not!"

"Pity. You Gryffindor lot are far too noble."

"And that suggestion wasn't a manipulative tactic of a Slytherin?" challenged Hermione, an eyebrow raised while her lips quirked up. Lucius simply smirked in response.

"Lucius, do you want me to tell your son the truth about your condition? I think that may be another thing he'll want to talk about."

"No. I fear that if he knew, he would force her upon me and I wish for no such thing."

"I understand. Alright, well, I guess I'll go meet with Draco now."

"Hermione, don't be afraid of him. Remember, he is your mate. I doubt he will do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. You may be genetically wired to appease him, but he is also affected by you to please you. Veelas are complex creatures and their mere presence can affect their mate's mentality as much as a mate can affect the veela's. Trust your instincts."

"How can I trust something that is possessive in nature?"

"Our manor has wards more powerful than Hogwarts. And yet, you managed to go through them and end up in our parlor, without anyone adjusting them to allow you. As Draco is your mate, your veela can suspend the most powerful of defenses to make sure he is okay. Possessiveness is a small part of your nature, compared to the rest of it. Trust your instincts."

Hermione nodded to her comrade before leaving his office. She thought about calling for Noona to take her to Draco but thought better of it as Lucius's words echoed in her mind.

Trust your instincts.

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the younger Malfoy, creating his image in her head. And all of the sudden, her eyes flew open and she knew where to go to find him. Hermione walked down endless halls, twisted and turned before arriving at the other end of the manor, where Draco's temporary office was.

She knocked tenderly on the door and waited for the man inside to open it and let her in.

Draco stared at his clock expectedly, waiting for the witch to arrive at his door. Surely it shouldn't be taking her this long unless she didn't ask for help from Noona. No, she would ask for help if she needed it. She may have been a Gryffindor, but she wasn't stupid. Hermione had always been the kind of person to ask for help if she needed it, rather than hope and fiddle about in terms of figuring something out.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a knock erupted on his office door. Draco stood up, brushed down his clothing to smooth it out before he opened the door to let her in. The blond was awestruck at the image she made.

She was wearing the exact same clothing from the night before, with a crimson cardigan that was knitted and complimented her form nicely. She was, as always, breathtaking.

She smiled sheepishly at him and Draco moved to the side to let her in. Hermione maneuvered herself past him, with a fair amount of space in-between as she settled herself in the chair across from the antique desk in the small room. Draco noticed this and chose to say nothing.

He had a feeling it had to do with what he needed to ask. Draco sat in his desk chair and ignored the brunette who watched him warily. She could try to be void of an emotion, but he knew that she had difficulty masking how she was feeling. Besides, he was a Slytherin, and no one knew how to keep a passive façade better than a snake.

The pair sat in silence as Draco watched Hermione impassively and she gazed about the room. Occasionally her eyes would go to his and he would raise an eyebrow in response, daring her to break the quiet that had been bestowed on him. She'd roll her eyes before resuming her evaluation of his office.

Draco, meanwhile, was studying her. He hadn't let himself ever really do that before…well, not for the reasons he had now. Before he'd study her to learn her secrets, thinking that if he just saw her, he'd know exactly what'd make her tick. It worked, quite often, but there was always something missing, something he had yet to discover. Of course, Draco never let the reason that it was his feelings towards the witch of the romantic kind, but of the aggressive and loathing kind.

Now, he could admit, it was still to learn more about her because he had never discovered what it was that made his eyes always stray to her, always seeking her out in a crowd, but rather his desire to, woo her.

Draco had admitted after the war that Hermione was someone who simply, enchanted him. Not through her looks, even though she was a stunning specimen, but through her actions. She cared, deeply, about everyone and everything. She loved unconditionally, despite the horridness of people who wished her wrong (that bloody pompous arse who she dated temporarily. Worst months of the blond's life, having to watch her snog that weasel). Even after they broke up she wouldn't dare utter a mean word about the loser.

Of course, then she disappeared two years later after their graduation and Draco had wondered, too often, where she had gone.

And then that fateful day of October 18, where a mere coincidence had led him to her. And now here she was, sitting in front of him, looking completely at ease despite being a place that should cause her illness.

Merlin, she was one of a kind.

"As to why you're here…" Draco decided to finally break the silence. There had been enough ogling on his end and he needed to get to the bottom of things with the brunette and his father, especially since he had an inkling she knew something about his father's case that he didn't.

Hermione drew her eyes away from the nautical portrait on the wall to the grey eyes of the blond. "I was wondering that myself. What do you wish to talk about?"

The blond frowned, not liking her sudden apathetic tone she had taken. It didn't suit her but as always, he let it slide. "My father's case. What headway have you made on it? You had left St. Mungo's in a hurry to discuss something with him. I'm assuming you have your answers by now."

He watched as his eyes flickered their neutrality. She was affected by his question and he knew that she knew something but was refraining from telling him. "What is it, Hermione?"

He paused on her name, watching intently as her eyes flashed gold. His father's case and her golden eyes…they must have to be linked together somehow. There was something there that he was missing, that answered the pair's sudden amity.

"Well?" he further inquired.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated?" Draco scoffed. "That's the coward's way out. You bloody well know what's wrong with him, you're just not telling me. He put you up to this, didn't he? The two of you have some sort of…you're connected. By what, I don't know, but it's got something to with his theory of fading and you're eyes flashing gold."

"My eyes don't turn gold. That's impossible."

"You're lying. You very well know what your eyes do. I can see the truth shining right now in them."

He watched the witch panic, summoning a mirror and growling in frustration. "You bastard. You tricked me!"

"It worked, didn't it? So, tell me, why's got you and my father are twisted about? You're not in love with him, are you?"

"Merlin no!"

"Then what is it?"

"It's none of your damn business Malfoy."

"I thought we moved passed the last names. And he's my father so it damn well is my business. Now tell me what in the blazing hell is going on!"

"No!"

"Granger…"

"I thought we moved past last names."

"You bloody infuriating witch. JUST TELL ME DAMNIT!"

"Or you'll what?" she seethed, standing up to gain dominance. Draco matched her stance, walking around his desk till they were nose to nose. "Or I'll make you tell me."

"You wouldn't dare."

She was so close that Draco could see her doe eyes, flickering that fire that burned so lustrously inside of her. Her hair sparked its rage towards him as her body thrummed with a ravenous anger.

He wanted to kiss her, to claim her as his own by a clashing of tongues and lips and teeth. He wanted her to rip his clothes off, to fight him by clawing down his bare back and sinking her teeth into his neck.

He wanted her to let him take her to a place of ecstasy and bliss.

Her words from last night played on repeat in his head, making him wonder if she, felt even an inkling of the way he felt.

Goodnight my love.

"What is it Malfoy?" she asked, a threat underlying in her tone as she asked. Her eyes continued to drill into his own, and the longer the pair stared at one another, the more Draco felt called to action.

He was frustrated with her refusal, agitated by her proximity and just.

"Fuck this." He muttered, before grabbing her face in his hands and placing his lips on her with such ferocity and need that she stumbled back a bit. He was quick though, wrapping his right arm around her waist and pulling her in. Her body molded into his and her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him in tighter.

She moaned as they battled for dominance, his tongue dancing with hers and they stumbled back, her leg shutting the door. She briefly pulled back, whispered a spell to lock the door before resuming her devouring of his lips.

Not that he was complaining.

She surged them forward until his back was to the desk. He wiped everything off of it, relishing the sound of things crashing before flipping her onto the desk and hovering over her. He stroked her face, the sudden anger dissolving as the tension became tender.

Her eyes blinked open her blinding, golden irises and it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.

This isn't her.

He pushed himself off of her and hastily backed into the wall, looking pointedly at the floor.

"You should go." He said, furious with himself for losing control and furious at her for letting him. He wasn't her fault though, he had just given into his desires. She slowly got up and left, not uttering a word to him. But he knew, he knew exactly how she must have been feeling.

Merlin, he hoped this wouldn't have any consequences. He hoped that they could look past this blip and keep moving forward. He wished he had never gone and kissed her like there was no tomorrow like he was a dying man of thirst and she was an oasis.

"It wasn't her."


	5. Chapter 5

Enchanted

Chapter 5

" _It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

― _Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections_

Hermione opened her eyes and blinked wearily at the brightness. This wasn't her room. And she wasn't wearing her clothes…panic began to set in as Hermione frantically looked around, wondering why she was in such an unfamiliar place.

"Easy Hermione, easy."

A gentle voice spoke while a hand rested on her back, easing her downward. She _knew_ that voice knew that it had good intentions and cared for her. Hermione's eyes looked over to her right, where Luna stood, smiling kindly upon the brunette.

"How are you feeling?"

Hermione continued to stare at the blonde, or more importantly, her hair. She liked the platinum colour because it reminded her of her mate. Her beautiful, kind, exquisite mate. She reached out and began to twirl one of the strands in her fingers.

"Hermione, I'm going to give you something to calm you down."

The witch only purred in response, preferring to stay transfixed on the fine tendrils in her hand. She felt something prick her skin but continued to ignore it. The locks were simply _fascinating_.

"There, that should do it." muttered the blonde to herself. She waited and watched Hermione blink several times as if coming out of a haze. Her eyes faded from gold to brown, her fangs sheathed themselves and her talons shrunk to regular nails.

"Luna?" spoked Hermione, appearing frazzled and weary. "What…Am I at St. Mungo's?"

Luna sighed, as she sat on the side of the bed. "You are."

"Why?"

"Well, Harry hadn't heard from you in days and he got worried. We went to your flat, but your wards had been altered. It took Harry a while, but he managed to get us in and we found you unconscious on the floor. You looked _awful_. Your chest had bleeding wounds as if you had been trying to claw something out. Your skin was tinged grey as well. The moment Harry tried to pick you up though you came out of a comatose state and attacked him. Your veela…it was in control Merlin knows how long. I had to knock you out and then give you a sedative just to bring you here."

Hermione frowned. "I don't remember any of that."

"You wouldn't. You must have been incredibly emotional for your veela to have overtaken you."

Hermione took in Luna's words before her eyes widened. "Oh no."

"Hermione, what is it?"

"I…oh no…I…"

Pain shot through Hermione's chest as the past events came crashing down around her, her nails sharpened once more, and attack her chest, tearing away her flesh. In a moment Hermione's veela emerged forth, snarling and crying out in agony. Luna's eyes widened as she rushed away from the bed to the door, she slammed the button on the side and sirens began to go off, outside of the room she was in. Her attention went to Hermione as she jumped into action. Luna whipped out her wand and started to mutter spells, hoping to restrain the veela from doing any more damage to itself.

She watched as cuffs extended themselves out of thin air and tore the wrists from the chest and strapped them firmly to the bed. The veela began to shake, it's gold eyes furiously staring at the blonde witch as it continued to screech at her. Luna kept working though, strapping the ankles next and grabbing a syringe and injecting a sleeping-draught into the brunette. Once all of the vials were in, Luna stepped back and waited for the veela to succumb to sleep. The golden eyes threatened Luna but she stood her ground.

Soon, the lids shut, closing the healer off from the irises. She let out a breath of relief, sagging into the chair across from Hermione near the door. With the veela in the Land of Nod, she looked peaceful.

A healer rushed into the room, gaping a bit at the bloody mess that was Hermione's chest before resuming their professionalism and cleaning up the wounds and red rivers. Luna just watched blankly as her mind was elsewhere.

She needed to speak to Draco.

Her wand sparked at the thought.

…

Draco took another gulp of the firewhisky and relished the burn of his throat. He sat at his office desk in his flat, staring solemnly out the window as it rained down hard on the glass, echoing his own inner turmoil.

The repetition of the assumption that it wasn't her last night seemed to be only making him feel guiltier for what occurred, not better. He took another swig from his tumbler, before slamming the empty glass on the table. The cup shattered, as a result, scattering the shards across his desk and a few embedding themselves into his hand. The blond ignored it, as his mind was so focused on the previous night and her lip on his…

She had tasted sweet. Like a fresh cup of tea on a rainy morning, a slightly fruity flavor swirled in with vanilla and cinnamon. Her kiss was ecstasy, the way her lips moved with his that set his world on _fire_. He could have died there, in her arms, and have been perfectly content.

Draco faintly heard a door open behind him, but he didn't register the sound, too lost in his own musings and thoughts about the brunette. It had seemed like her, sounded like her, smelled like her…

But those goddamn eyes…

"Merlin Draco…" a voice whispered beside him and soon Kerli kneeled into his view. She took his hand and waved her wand over the wounds, disappearing the glass and healing the cuts. Draco didn't even flinch at the pain of the glass exiting his skin, choosing instead to focus on the rain slamming into the window. The wind howled by, sending a shiver through Kerli's core.

"There, you're all cleaned up."

Kerli flicked away the garbage to the can at the end of the room before turning her attention to Draco. He was in another world and his face echoed his father's own. He held a gaunt expression and his eyes appeared void of anything.

"Draco. What happened?"

Nothing. No response or movement. The witch rolled her eyes, pushed up her sleeves and swore in Estonian. " _Lita poeg_."

And then she slapped him, right across the face.

…

Luna paced her office with worry written all over her posture. Her door opened, and she looked up, seeing Harry entering with concern. She rushed into his arms, letting him wrap her in his embrace. She sighed before pulling away but remaining in his hug.

"Luna, what happened?"

"It's Hermione…her situation's gotten worse."

"How bad is it?"

"Her humanity has gone dormant. I had t put her in a magically induced coma."

Harry pulled her girlfriend into his lap as he sat down in the visitor's chair in her office. Fresh tears slid down Luna's cheeks and her boyfriend brushed them away. Luna leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair to soother her worry.

"So, her veela is dominant?"

"Yes. I don't know what triggered it, I don't know why…but I'm guessing her pining has sped up. And according to studies done, that only occurs if the veela has been rejected."

"You think Malfoy _rejected_ her? How is that even possible? He doesn't even know she's a veela."

"Exactly. They must have interacted days ago and whatever happened between them didn't end well. I must speak to him, but I don't know how without revealing her heritage. Hermione would kill me if I told Draco."

"Luna, I think you'll have to. If you're to figure out how to help Hermione, you'll need all the answers. I can come with you if you want."

Luna smiled, kissing Harry sweetly on his lips. "Thank you but no. You're not close to Draco like I am. Just, be at home when I get back."

Harry lovingly caressed Luna's cheek. "That I can do." He kissed her warmly, before letting her off his lap and heading to her personal floo. "Let me know if you need me."

"I will."

Harry smiled and disappeared in a flash of green flames. Luna grabbed her purse and her wand before following in her boyfriend's footsteps and flooing away to the Malfoy Manor.

…

"What in the bloody hell was that for?" yelled Draco, clutching his cheek and staring daggers at Kerli who loomed over him, unamused. "To shake you out of whatever funk you were just under."

"I'm fine Kerli."

"Really? A bleeding hand and a forlorn look? I don't call that fine. Something's bothering you, what is it?"

"It's nothing."

Kerli rolled her eyes. "It's _not_ nothing. Please make this easier for the both of us by just answering honestly. What's going on? With you and your father mind you. You both are being despondent."

"Why don't you ask my father?"

"Lucius won't tell me anything."

"Lucius? When did it become Lucius?"

Kerli shrugged. "When you were wallowing in self-pity for the past couple of days."

"I was _not_ wallowing."

"Look, either you tell me now, or I shove veritaserum down your throat to _make_ you tell me."

Draco growled under his breath at the unfavourable position he was in. He knew Kerli would follow through with her threat, it was one of the many reasons he had hired her in the beginning.

"I kissed Hermione."

Kerli's eyes went wide. " _You did what?"_

"Don't be daft Kerli. You heard me."

The ravenette collapsed in the chair across from the blond who had now turned to lean on his desk. "You kissed Hermione. So, are you two…together?"

The blond snorted. "Hardly. It's complicated."

"How is it complicated? You like her, she likes you. That seems like a win-win to me."

Draco stared forlornly out the window. "Our history is…difficult. She hated me, for years, with good reason to and I…she was the one I couldn't have." The blond chuckled pitifully to himself. "I suppose that isn't true. It was more so that I couldn't because had I really tried, had I not been the coward I was, I could have revealed my affections for her. I could have _pursued_ her. Shown her how I really felt. But I didn't. Instead, I hurt her and made her life harder. And when we kissed, it came like a rush of everything wrong I had done her and…I couldn't do it. I couldn't…"

The blond's head fell into his hands. Kerli lowered herself beside him, placing a gentle hand on his back for comfort. "Did she kiss you back?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Because if she kissed you back then she's probably forgiven you for all that you did."

"It's not that _simple._ "

Kerli sighed. "Draco, why can't you just let yourself be happy? You clearly love her so just go and be with her. Take this as your opportunity to go and win her heart, like how you wanted to when you were younger."

The blond exhaled wearily, not eager to do anything involving the kiss. He was quite content to just sit and wallow in his idiocy for the action. "It wasn't her when she kissed me."

Kerli brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean it wasn't her? That doesn't make any sense."

"It was her eyes. They were golden. She doesn't have gold eyes. Nobody does. So…it couldn't have been her who kissed me back, no matter how much I wished it."

"Gold eyes you say?"

Draco whipped his head towards the door only to see Luna standing there, her wand tightly in her grasp. She was leaning against the frame with a glint in her eye. She sauntered in, placing herself demurely on the chair beside Kerli, across from the younger Malfoy.

"Luna. What brings you here?"

The Ravenclaw sighed, fatigue shimmering in her eyes.

"Luna, are you alright?" the edge of Draco's voice faded as he saw the weariness on his friend's face. Luna smiled bitterly, before launching into the reason she came.

"Draco, did you kiss Hermione?"

The blond paused in his reach towards the witch, sending a quick glance to Kerli who gestured for him to answer her. "I did."

Luna rubbed her temples as her eyes fluttered shut. She knew the answer to her next question, but she begged to Hecate it wouldn't be the answer. "Did you, in any way, reject the kiss?"

"I…I suppose I did. Why?"

The Ravenclaw let out a slow breath, her fingers now holding the bridge of her nose. Now she knew the cause of Hermione's distress and it wasn't good.

"Luna…why do you ask?"

"Because Hermione is in St. Mungo's in a comatose state and it's because of you she's there."

…

Lucius was sitting in his bedroom when he felt it. A shiver went through him, deep into his body, shaking at his very core. He looked up and around his room, wondering why the sudden chill had befallen him, but nothing seemed amiss.

His brow furrowed as he continued to change into his sleep wear until another shiver wracked through him. His fingers trembled on the silk buttons and then his heart spasmed. The older Malfoy cried out, collapsing onto the floor, clutching his chest.

A moment later and his heart resumed its normal rhythm, acting as if nothing strange had just occurred. But the older Malfoy knew something was wrong.

It wasn't him. His body may be fading, but fading was not a physical ailment, so why had he felt such sudden anguish in his heart?

His eyes grew wide at the realization. "Hermione." He whispered to his reflection in the mirror. He threw on his coat, grabbed his cane and hobbled his way to where his son was sitting.

It was about time he gave his son a damn piece of his mind, especially concerning a pining brunette.

…

Draco sputtered in shock at Luna's confession. "Hermione's in a coma…I don't…I don't understand. How could she be unconscious?"

Kerli snickered, attempting to hide it but failing to do so. "Boss, your lips put her to sleep. It's like you're the anti-Prince Charming."

Draco and Luna stared daggers at the ravenette who raised her hands in defence. "Got it. No joking about the situation."

The Slytherin faced his friend again, his face scrunching in confusion. "Luna, how did I put Hermione in a coma?"

Luna bit her lip, an inner battle raging on whether or not she should confess to the pair about Hermione. Harry's words echoed in her head, causing her to take a deep breath.

"Draco…"

But before she could utter out the life-changing sentence, the door slammed open and Lucius stood there, fury dancing in his eyes as he leaned heavily on his cane.

"Son, we need to talk."

"Not now Father. I'm in the middle of something."

"This cannot wait Draco. It is about Hermione."

"Lucius, sit down. I was just about to tell Draco about her." spoke Luna, gesturing towards the couch where Kerli sat. Lucius moved slowly and lowered himself beside the ravenette, who smiled at him before bringing her attention back to the Ravenclaw.

Luna took a deep breath in and let it go gently, before diving into Hermione's condition.

"Hermione is in a coma Lucius. She arrived there due to Draco's actions from a few nights ago. It is a delicate situation. She had come to briefly, before relapsing. We had to induce her into a comatose state. We're not sure when she'll wake up."

Lucius frowned. "I…I cannot fathom such a state. What did you do Draco that caused this?" Anger began to seep into the older Malfoy's veins, an irritable look falling across his whole body. Kerli reached over, taking his hand in her and offering another reassuring smile. Lucius's body deflated, the anger fading into worry for the unconscious brunette that laid on a slab of white cloth in St. Mungo's.

"Father, I didn't realize you cared so much about her."

Luna looked at the older Malfoy. "Lucius, you need to tell him."

"Tell me what? Is this about your illness Father? About your fading?"

When Luna realized that the older Malfoy had no intention of telling his son, the Ravenclaw took it upon herself. "Draco, Kerli, Lucius is a member of the Teleri lineage. It's an ancient high elven line. The reason for his fading is due to his heritage. Like all high elven lines, Lucius can bond with another individual. However, he has chosen not to, hence the fading. He will never die a violent death only suffer emotionally. His body will wither into, well, nothing. Essentially, he will fade. Hermione is in the same position but rather than fading she is pining."

Draco's brow narrowed as his mind began to speed up all the facts to the sudden conclusion. "She's a veela."

Luna solemnly nodded. "Yes. And you, Draco, are her mate. When you two kissed, it amplified her veela to become dominant. And then you rejected her and her veela's pining increased tenfold. A veela pining is different than a high elf fading While Lucius will simply disappear if he does not bond to his bonded, Hermione will suffer violent fits until she ultimately kills herself. From what I've seen she has yet to attempt it, but if she is never accepted by you Draco, I fear it will happen and soon."

The room sat in silence, Lucius's hand gripping Kerli's tightly while Draco's head was in his hands.

He had, yet again, failed Hermione.

And he didn't know if he had it in him to save her.

Because why would she, choose to love a coward like him?

…


	6. Chapter 6

Enchanted

Chapter 6

" _It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

― _Jonathan Franzen, The Correction_

Hermione found herself in what she could only have described as a utopia. The grass was vibrant and sparkled the way emeralds do when freshly cut, the sky shone blue like the cyan oceans and the water glistened, with sandy shores and pristine waves. The air flowed with floral scents mixed in with a dash of peppermint and as Hermione laid herself on the grass, it sighed underneath the weight of her form.

A blissful sigh let itself loose from the brunette's lungs as she laid in her personal paradise. Her veela had gone dormant, leaving her to live a heavenly, easy life in this nirvana.

Birds chirped happily on the branch above her head as she lied there in the shade, content with sun's warmth spreading itself through the opening in the leaves, and dancing along her glowing skin.

Underneath the sun's kiss and the sweet shade, lulled by the bird's song and the wind's sigh, Hermione found her eyes fluttering shut as she began to drift to the Land of Nod.

…

"Draco."

The young wizard perched himself on the window seat in the vast foyer on the upper level in the east wing. He stared solemnly out the glass, faintly tracing the raindrops that slithered down the crystal, unaware of the one who had called him.

"Son."

The voice shrouded itself amongst Draco's ears, but he barely regarded their presence. The revelation consumed his thoughts, drifting in and out of his consciousness with the one truth branded in his mind.

Hermione was a _veela_ and he was her _mate_.

The power behind those words had frozen him into a stoic state. Nothing would penetrate his mind, not even those around him begging for his focus, his _attention_. Hermione was unconscious, lying on a slab of white sheets and it was all because of _him_.

A hand placed itself on his shoulder, gently shaking him out of his reverie. His eyes, misty with the onslaught of tears that he hadn't realized were pleading to be let out, now began to cascade down his cheeks.

Lucius knelt to face his son, taking the angled face into his hands and brushing the tears away. But they kept coming, over and over and over until they were simply rivers being dragged by gravity. Soon, the older Malfoy began to parallel the crying of his son, with crystal waters flowing down his own face. The duo sat in their silence, allowing their anguish to free itself from the Malfoy cage which often kept it locked up.

…

Luna twiddled with her wand in the office, now absent of Malfoy men, with only Kerli as her companion. The ravenette appeared distressed, the fingers absentmindedly rubbing her ring finger on her left hand.

The gesture struck Luna as odd. Kerli had never been one to wear excessive jewelry or rings for that matter. The blonde wondered why she had an unconscious fascination with her ring finger. There was no band on it so, therefore, no need to acknowledge its existence…unless…

"Kerli."

The older witch turned her attention to Luna, the action with her hands ceasing. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

A bitter smile erupted on Kerli's face. "No, I'm not. I'm worried about Draco and Lucius. This news, it doesn't bode well, for either of them and I can't lose them. They mean far too much to me."

Luna nodded in understanding. If she lost Harry, Merlin knows how lost she would be. Still, …that didn't explain the movements on her finger. "Kerli, do you care for any of the Malfoys in a, stronger way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you love them more than a…family love?"

The ravenette paused, before resuming her stare out the window. "If you're implying I love Draco, I'm afraid you're quite wrong. If anything, he's like a _son_ to me. I want him to be happy."

"I wasn't thinking of Draco."

A sigh echoed through the office from the older witch, who was once again fiddling with her finger. "In that case, yeah, I _suppose_ there's a deeper emotion directed towards Lucius."

"So, you love him?"

"I wouldn't quite say, love. But…it's complicated. I mean, he's _Lucius Malfoy_ for goodness sake. Our history is difficult and full of hate. He uses words as weapons. He is unkind towards others. His past with the war is grotesque and horrific."

"And that defines him?"

"Well, no. I know he's changed. But…even then. I don't know if it's enough."

Luna sighed. "I can understand that. Perhaps though, after these recent events and learning of his heritage, you could change your mind?"

Kerli blew out a long breath. "I don't know. He's…he's handsome, I'll give you that. And his eyes…like fine silver. And his hair that just…it _flows_. It's smooth and luxurious and just…flows. He's gorgeous."

"That didn't answer the question."

"Honestly? I don't have an answer. Circumstances have changed but I don't know if he's changed. He married Narcissa, the woman he was told to. He never did anything for himself, only what was expected. How can I be with someone who can't stand up for themselves?"

Luna tapped her chin in thought as Kerli's words passed through her mind. "I understand your perspective, but I think you're wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"I do. You have valid points, some with merit. Lucius was certainly a follower for most of his life. But I think when it came to you, he chose you over him. And that choice was not something he was forced or followed into doing. That's something he did, independently. And in that regard, I disagree. Lucius has told me a little bit about his days at Hogwarts, you see."

Kerli nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. You do know a lot more than I would have expected anyone to know. He doesn't talk about our past much."

"All I know was that there was a witch who had had been drawn to but never pursued her. I've assumed that was you. Did he ever make his intentions known?"

The older woman paused, her face showing her thinking. Her brow furrowed, her lips pursed forward and she frowned. "I…don't know. Our interactions were also so limited and there was a rigidness to him whenever he was around me. But, it always seemed forced you know? With his fellow students being purebloods and judgemental pricks, its like he mandated himself to bully me. I wonder…"

"You know you're his bonded right? You've figured that out by now." Asked Luna, placing a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "Yes. I know Luna. He's been kinder since Draco hired me. I eventually figured out with the mention of fading."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

…

Once the tears had been shed and the ducts dry, the Malfoy men found themselves sipping scotch. Unlike the night where Lucius and Hermione had descended into madness, Draco had no intention of getting to that point.

He just wanted it to clear his mind of his anxious thoughts and focus on what needed to be done.

Hermione.

"What are you going to do son?" asked Lucius, his fingers faintly tracing the rim of his tumbler. His eyes glance to the younger Malfoy, who was staring intently at his glass, as if it held all the answers. Draco reflected his father's actions, his thumbs running across the sides of the glass.

"I don't know. I can't just kiss her because there's the very real possibility that she cares for me simply because of the veela. Then again, from the stories Mother told me when I was young…the humans are just as in control of their veela as their veela is in control of them. But I have given her no reason to love me. And she shouldn't."

Lucius placed his drink to the side as he positioned himself to face his heir. "Draco, you of all people deserve utter happiness. Hermione is a wonderful and gracious woman. And she cares for you, deeply. You may be right, as her veela tends to appear quite often. But the way to win her heart is the way she's won yours. Little by little, until it's all at once."

"Father…"

"Show her what you are capable of. I…regret…the way Narcissa and I raised you. We did not set an example of true love. However, had I married my bonded…" Lucius sighed. "I would never have had you. And for that, I regret nothing."

Draco sat in a stunned silence. Never had he heard such a sentiment from his father. Even his mother had never spoken with such vulnerability like Lucius just did. The genuine tone of his father's words took him aback and made the blond think that maybe, _just maybe_ , he could show Hermione the depth of his adoration for her.

With a renewed determination, Draco stood, kissing his father on the cheek as a sign of his own affection for Lucius and as a thank you for the encouragement before he grabbed his coat and headed towards the floo.

Hopefully, he'd make it in time.

…

Hermione wandered amongst the garden aimlessly. She felt…anxious as if she was forgetting something. But what that was, she didn't know. Perhaps it was a task she had to do or a memory she needed to remember. Nevertheless, the warm breezes and idyllic sighs from the grass as she laid down on a patch seemed to ease her nerves.

She found herself doing that a lot in this place. Lying down. She had never been a witch to so easily be swayed by pretty things or let herself get distracted by the now. Never once had she done a selfish act for herself. Everything was always for the good of others.

Like Malfoy and his father, for example.

That thought struck Hermione and she shot up from her spot. Malfoy…Draco…there was something about him…something that he needed her for…but what was it?

Something began to stir inside of her, threatening to burst and forcing her mind into overdrive. Her mental cogs began to turn and whir as her mind drifted through the lapsing memories that she had thought were dreams in this place.

But, where was she? Where was he? Hermione frowned, looking around at the paradise she found herself in. Her brain wracked itself for a recollection of places like this and why she would not be in reality.

"I'm unconscious" she muttered to herself. "That has to be it."

Hermione recalled reading in one of her veela texts early on that when a veela believes they have been rejected, they will attack themselves, ridden with anguish over the loss of their mate.

"Draco rejected me…" she muttered to herself, sadness creeping into her heart as she went over the kiss they had shared before he turned her away.

"He didn't think it was me…"

Hermione's brow furrowed. With Draco's rejection of her, her veela should have tried to kill her and yet…she didn't feel _dead_. This place, while idealistic in a personal heaven portrayal, would not be where Hermione herself would go into death. So where was she?

"Wait…Luna and Harry took me to Saint Mungo's. I remember that but it's…it's black after her explaining what happened. She must have induced me with something. That explains the place I'm in. But why would my subconscious put me in a garden?"

It was time to explore. Perhaps somewhere in this place, Hermione could find a way to get back to herself, to the real world.

"If I can get back, I can talk to Draco. Explain myself. He's bound to know the truth now. Perhaps we can…work something out if he knows. Surely, he'll be reasonable."

With that in mind, Hermione left her sunny patch and began to wander, wondering how she was to find a semblance of a clue to getting back to reality and out of this bliss she was residing in.

…

Draco stumbled out of the fireplace foyer in St. Mungo's. He brushed the soot off of his clothing before making his way to the secretary's desk. It was late at night, so he hoped they would be more willing to put up with him. If not, he could probably bribe his way to Hermione's room.

As he approached the desk he found none other than Pansy Parkinson sitting there, on the phone. She was filing her nails and looked rather annoyed at whoever she was speaking to.

"Bloody hell." He muttered under his breath before slapping on a smile as he approached his ex. "Pansy."

Narrow eyes shot from pointed nails to grey irises. Pansy hadn't changed in appearance other than having a more rounded face with a pointed nose. A vast improvement from her pug appearance throughout Hogwarts. Draco assumed she had it attended to after graduation.

She held up a finger telling him to wait as she finished her call.

"Yes, Greg. I know. Well, she's your girlfriend so you better put up with her. Mother of…Greg, go buy some flowers and bring them to her and be thankful an actual witch is willing to be within five feet of your vicinity let alone actually touch you. Goodbye."

The old Slytherin hung up the phone with a slam before bringing her attention to the blond. "Haven't seen you in a while. If anything, you disappeared off of the face of the earth."

"You look good Pansy."

"Surgery will do that. What do you want Draco?"

"I'm looking for Granger."

Pansy cackled. "Oh, this is rich. Still pining for the muggleborn are we?" She chuckled before pulling up with the witch in question's file on her computer. "Well, it appears you can't see her. She's off limits. Merlin knows that woman was a piece of work but looking at _this_ …I'd suggest running unless…" Pansy looked over Draco. "Then again, magic works in mysterious ways. Sorry Draco, but no one's getting to her. She's on lockdown. No visitors allowed and only a selected group of healers can see her."

Draco ran his hands through his hair. "Bloody buggering fuck."

The witch looked at him, her eyes burning with that inquisitive stare she had mastered so well. While Draco hadn't spoken to Pansy in quite a long time, she still was one of the few fellow students he was willing to put up with. She, like all Slytherins, knew what made him tick and could probably see what was running through his head as he stood there before her.

"You're her mate, aren't you?"

Draco glared at the witch. "It's none of your damn business."

Pansy smirked. "So that's a yes then. Give me a moment, would you?" She picked up the phone and dialed a number, casually casting a glance at the agitated blond. While she wasn't a fan of the know-it-all she knew that if Draco was indeed her mate, then he'd be the one to wake up Granger and wouldn't Pansy receive a nice salary bonus with helping heal a patient?

"Healer Lovegood? Yeah, I've got Draco Malfoy here. I think…you know? Of course, you do. I'm going to send him in to see her I just need clearance from you. Perfect." Pansy hung up the phone before grabbing her wand and leaving the desk.

"Follow me." She whispered as she scanned the area around them before gesturing for him to follow. She moved quietly through the halls and Draco copied her movements. They turned down several ways until they arrived at an ironclad door with the number 18 in golden letters glittering in the torchlight.

Pansy waved her wand, muttering under her breath until she heard a click occur from inside the lock. She grinned, turning to the blond. "Don't take too long. Cleaning will be down here soon and they will catch you. Go. Your princess awaits." She snickered before leaving him alone in the hall.

Draco peered inside the glass window and his heart clenched at the sight. Hermione lay on the scratchy sheets, unconscious and completely unaware of the world around her. The blond grasped the handled and with force opened the door not entirely sure what to say but hoping something would come of his visit.

…

Hermione had been wandering for what seemed like forever. The scenery around her never changed, appearing limitless to her eyes. But she was hopeful, strangely so, as she continued her walking.

It was when she arrived at a fork in the road that she heard a strange lulling sound coming from her left. Curiously, the witch took and step forward before hopping backward. Perhaps she should take the right path. Then again, there was a chance that that path would be more treacherous than the left. Besides, she had _reason_ to explore the left.

With that in mind, Hermione moved forward, following the sound. Upon arrival of a clearing, the lulling drifted through her ears, more melodic with romance tinging on each note that swirled around her. The clearing had a stream running through it and was more beautiful than the beaches she had been on or the garden she had meandered through. Tall trees with firm foundations surrounded the area like a fortress surrounds a castle. In the middle, behind the stream was a gazebo with something sitting on a bench. Hermione gently approached it before realizing it was a person, not a thing.

She took a gentle step into the gazebo. The moment she did, the head turned, and she gasped.

It was her. But…far more breathtaking and stunning. There was an ethereal quality to this being who rivaled Hermione's looks. The eyes shined bright gold, her lips a rose pink and perfectly serene, her skin glowing its healthy and warm tan, her hair falling in lustrous waves, coming calmly to the side and resting kindly over her shoulder. This woman's clothing was exquisite, a dress made of the finest silks with glittering jewels sewn throughout the fabric, glistening as the sun's rays kissed each one. There were flowers, roses, and lilies, woven into her flower crown that rested gently on her head.

And Hermione knew exactly who this woman was.

"You're my veela."

A tranquil grin spread across the cheeks of this feminine creature. "Come, sit" she spoke softly, patting the spot beside her on the bench.

Hermione moved slowly, noticing the long nails that appeared talon like on the woman. The veela shifted herself over and the brunette noticed rustling behind her until it dawned that they were wings! Ivory wings that rivaled the finest marble that had been created.

"You are a wise one, Hermione Granger."

"I…I don't…what?"

The veela chuckled. "This is my home. This is where I reside in your mind. Beautiful isn't it?"

"It's breathtaking. I just…I don't understand…how?"

"You've read up on veelas, I'm sure you know."

Hermione sat there bewildered by the sheer magnitude of what was going on. "I honestly don't know what's going on. I'm…unconscious and apparently here, with you."

"Well, you shouldn't be here with me. You should be living with me, in the world. However, upon dire circumstances, I had to take over and help you."

"Take over? You've been ruining my life!" Hermione's anger began to boil. "You've caused me to go ballistic over the littlest of details that he does! I've had to restrain myself from jealous urges and the insane desire to bite him.! He's Draco Malfoy and you have me groveling like a sniveling, little, pathetic, twat before him! And you have the audacity to say you've _helped_?"

Hermione heaved fiery breath from her lungs while grappling with her hair in strong tension. The veela was unperturbed though, instead of waiting for the witch to calm down before speaking.

"Are you done?"

Hermione hissed. "No, but it's evident you have something to say so just say it."

"What do you think of Draco?"

That question hadn't been what Hermione was expecting, thus making all of her rage seep out of her. "What?"

"What do you think of Draco?"

The brunette paused. "Um, well, he's kind I suppose. I mean, if his affection for Lucius is anything to go by then it displays he has a heart quite capable of loving someone. And he's intelligent, he's rather brilliant actually. I mean, he's a potions master from an incredibly young age which is impressive. And his intentions are good, although misguided a bit, he wants to do _good_. He's…there's lot to him that I don't know, I'm only just discovering it but…he's…" Hermione paused, wondering just what she wanted to say about him. "There's something about him, he's just…enchanting."

The veela smiled. "Hermione, had I not intervened, would you ever have discovered those qualities in him? Or would you have continued on your merry way, ignoring the potential for a possibility of happiness?"

The witch paused. "I…I had…I mean…I know what veelas do and how they work…"

"No amount of reading can tell you how to fall in love. That's why I had to act. I needed to talk to you, to _explain._ Hermione…I am offering you _happiness_. The perfect match, your _soulmate_. It is easy for me to become distracted by his presence because I know how happy _we_ can be with him. But, you need to realize it too. I know from _instinct._ I know from the way our smells match, the sparks felt from touching him, the fluttering of my heart when he's in my presence. I know who he is to me, by nature. Unlike the high elves, veelas have a primal connection to an individual. We mate for life because we know there is never another option than the one whose soul is ours. High elves have their souls align, we have our souls shared. Draco has the other half of your soul. And I know this because it is in my nature to. You do not, because you are not as in-tune with your blood as I am. And that's okay. But you need to stop overthinking things, to stop analyzing every action we make. I am not working against you, I am working with you. But you need to work with me too. The reason you find me hard to control is that we are not in sync. You don't want me around and therefore, have a natural urge to reject my very nature. It causes friction and ultimately, for Luna to put us in a coma. I don't want to die, especially when I know Draco is so close, but I cannot accept him until you do. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Despite you knowing who Draco is, I am the one ultimately in control. If I cannot consciously accept him as my mate and that he loves me, then you cannot either because we are one in the same. Two sides of one coin."

The veela smiled bitterly. "Yes."

"I suppose I need to listen to you a bit more then."

"Hermione, I am a part of you as much as I am myself. You and I, we make Hermione Granger. Do not reject the very core of who we are. Trust our instincts. They will not lead you astray."

"Understood. Thank you and…I'm sorry. For not letting you have your say and causing such a divide."

"It's alright."

A strange surge went through the pair's body. Hermione looked wildly around, wondering what just occurred. The veela remained calm, her eyes closed in bliss as a goofy grin erupted.

"What was that?"

The veela opened her eyes. "That was our mate calling us."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "Draco's here? But how do you know?"

The veela stroked Hermione's cheek, gently shutting her eyes. "It's instinct." A warmth of adoration spreading through the brunette as she found herself listening to the vibrant energy that accompanied the surge. It bubbled in excitement and joy, eager to connect with someone.

"Draco" she murmured, a goofy grin spreading on her face.

And with that loving face pictured in her mind, her eyes opened, and she gasped.

…


	7. Chapter 7

Enchanted

Chapter 7

" _It was a way of recognizing places of enchantment: people falling asleep like this."_

― _Jonathan Franzen, The Correction_

The room was dimly lit as sounds buzzed and whirred through the room. It was chilly as if the cold would somehow keep the sleeping beauty unaware of the outside world. Draco quietly shut the door behind him and stared at Hermione's form. He didn't really know what to do now that he was here. He knew _what_ they were but…

Did she _really_ love him the way he loved her?

It was all too easy for him to fall for her charm again. Like his father said, it had happened little by little until it was all at once. And he needed to do the same for her. Make her fall in love with him little by little, until all at once.

Draco placed himself at the chair beside her bed and looked her over once again. Even with her skin tinged grey and her hair a matted mess she still looked breathtaking. He placed a hand over his heart, gripping it for a moment as a flash of something went through it. He wondered if this was part of the veela mating, that he would begin to feel her own emotions and pain.

Not liking the annoyance his chest was bringing, Draco moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He took Hermione's frail hand in his, tenderly stroking her knuckles. The action caused the wrinkles that had formed to smooth out, the dry skin to moisten.

That certainly confirmed they were mates. Not that he didn't believe it when Luna told him but, to actually _see_ it…

That was something else entirely.

He stroked tendrils of her hair back behind her ear, before caressing her cheek in his hand. A sigh erupted from him and he looked away but didn't let go if her hand.

"You must think me mad. Sitting here, with you, after pushing you away. I'm sorry, I didn't know. Then again you never told me. I'm a little angry with you about that. For someone who claimed to be wanting a clean slate you certainly didn't include yourself in that. Not telling me something this big? What were you _thinking_? You risked your life every time I was near and just…why couldn't you have told me, Hermione? Why did you need to keep it to yourself? Is it because you don't think I feel the same way?" A bitter smile appeared. "I suppose I didn't do you any favours pushing you away when we kissed. Had I known…well, you probably would have claimed me by that point I suppose."

"I do care for you. I actually…I'm not in love with you, not yet, but I'm definitely on my way there. Not for your veela but for _you_. You're just…you're utterly enchanting, did you know that? Everything you do just…"

Draco paused, at a loss of words for what to say to the brunette that laid before him. He wasn't the kind of wizard who poured out their heart to anyone. Merlin forbid he turned into Potter who spouted bloody _sonnets_ to Luna. But…

His eyes drifted back to Hermione's own closed ones. He took her in, all of her and a sigh escaped its cage. Perhaps he should pull a page out of Potter's book. It certainly worked for the Chosen One. Maybe it would work for him too.

He hoped so.

…

After her conversation with Kerli, Luna found herself exhausted from the night. She took some floo powder from the mantle and threw it into the fireplace, shouting Grimmauld Place as she did so.

Green illuminated around her as she felt her body fly to the destination. With a loud oomph, she landed home. "Harry?" she called, wondering where her boyfriend might be at this time. Rustling echoed through the home from the kitchen causing Luna to make her way there.

She leaned on the doorframe, smiling at the sight before her. Harry was at the stove, bickering with Kreacher about something. The blonde listened in, her smile growing as she overheard their conversation.

"Kreacher, I'm telling you, Luna prefers it this way."

"Master Harry no! Mistress Luna likes her potatoes this way!"

Kreacher snapped his fingers making whatever they were arguing over change. Harry huffed, shook his head, waved his wand and changed the food back.

"She's my girlfriend Kreacher. I think I know what she likes."

"Kreacher has been cooking for Mistress Luna longer than Master Harry has. Mistress Luna likes her dinner served hot and fresh, without Master Harry's influence."

Luna snickered which caused both parties to whip around to the sound. Harry blushed as he scratched the back of his neck. Kreacher meanwhile hopped off his stool and went to Luna.

"Mistress Luna! Tell Master Harry that Kreacher cooks not Master!"

"Harry it seems your distressing him. Come, let's rest in the den before dinner."

Kreacher seemed pleased with Luna's suggestion and continued onto his work. Harry sighed, for now, his plans were ruined. He took the blonde's hand and followed her to the den where she placed him on one o the big, comfy, chairs and then herself in his lap. Their fingers immediately entwined together. She leaned into him and the next sigh that erupted was not out of frustration but bliss.

With her in his arms, Harry could stay that way forever.

"You seem happier. A breakthrough on one of your cases?"

"Hm? Oh no, Harry. Just, something is going right for once."

The Chosen One leaned his head away to get a better view of Luna. "Something right? Sounds vague. Does it have to do with Hermione?"

"Sometimes I wish you weren't an Auror and never learned to read people so well."

"So, Hermione's going to be okay?"

"Yes, Draco is going to see her. I believe he's finally sorted himself. He'll do what's right."

"Isn't Hermione's room off limits?"

"Yes, but I gave permission for one of the nurses to let him have access. He is her mate after all."

"Luna, sweetheart, you could get in immense trouble for that!"

"I know. But, it's _Hermione_. She's worth it and it's about time she got some happiness don't you think?"

Worry shone on Harry's face. "I know, but I just…I don't want you to get fired for doing something reckless."

"Harry! What I did for Hermione is hardly reckless! She's a veela, Draco is her _mate_. Uniting them is exactly what needed to be done! Rules aside, she is a patient and he's her cure. Therefore, I _am_ doing my job."

Harry didn't respond instead choosing to pull his girlfriend in closer. Something didn't feel right with him about Luna's actions. While they were of pure intent, the Gryffindor knew that St. Mungo's placed massive precautions on its patients and for those who didn't follow the rules, the consequences could be dire.

"Master Harry there is someone at the fire for you."

Harry frowned. "Thank you, Kreacher. Wonder who it is." He gently let Luna off his lap as he made his way to the fireplace in the den. He grabbed a handful of floo and threw it into the fire. The place came to life and he saw his bosses face appear.

"Auror Potter there's been a disturbance at St. Mungo's. It is believed a patient is in danger. Report there immediately." The call ended. Harry's looked right at Luna who was shoving on her coat.

"Luna…"

"Let's go." She spoke, any docile tones from her voice gone. She grabbed Harry's hand, a handful of floo powder and with a dominant force, flooed them to the hospital.

…

Draco looked at Hermione's fragile hand into his own, gently caressing her fingers as he poured his heart out. "My father said that for you to fall in love with me would have to be done little by little until it was all at once. However, I'm quite sure it's how I'm falling for you. You've delivered only kindness to me, despite our rough beginning and have supported my father as if he was one of your own kin. I suppose he is, in a way, but it still doesn't dismiss the treatment you've given him. You had no reason to help him, and yet you did. I don't know your reasons, but I believe them to be of pure intent. You're good, _genuinely_ good, and you cared for him like you care for me. I…thank you Hermione. For everything. For helping him and helping me. I don't know what I'd do without you. I really don't want to know."

"I hope, when you wake up, you'll be willing to pursue something with me. I'm sure your mind has over analyzed every interaction between us. It's only natural for an intellect like yourself. I certainly have done the same, though, quite possibly not to the same extent you have." Draco chuckled at the thought. "I can just imagine you listening to me right now, thinking how foolish I am for taking so long and yet having a small smile blooming on your face. Your eyes would crinkle in fondness, sparkling with mirth at me and you'd take my hand in yours, like I'm doing now, pull me in close and whisper your affection for me. Then again, perhaps you wouldn't. I'd like to think you would but…that's simply my own desires fantasizing themselves."

Draco let go of Hermione's hand and chose to push back a lock of her hair behind her ear. Now, he was leaning over her, staring lovingly at her face. His eyes drifted to her lips causing him to bit his own.

"I'm going to kiss you now. I'd like to do it with you awake, so I can see how you'd react, but I suppose this will have to do. Come back to me, Hermione. We've got so much to do. Together."

The blond placed his lips on hers and something rushed out of him into her. It was warm, buzzing with excitement. He pulled back and watched some sort of energy flowed through her. It glowed, causing her lips to illuminate followed by her arms, legs, head, and finishing where her heart was. The glow soon began to shine brighter and brighter until it consumed the entire room, blinding Draco.

He shut his eyes while covering them as the light flooded everything around them in a golden radiance. In an instant, it was over. Draco slowly lowered his arm, moving back to Hermione's side, waiting.

She gasped, and her eyes fluttered open. Her body rushed forward, running on adrenaline, and Draco had to catch her in his arms as her body molded into his.

"Draco?" she stuttered out, gold eyes flashing before resuming their chocolate colour. "I'm here." He responded, pushing more hair back to see her better.

Hermione looked at him, her hands reaching his face. "You came. I didn't know if you would after…"

"I'm sorry."

Hermione closed her eyes, leaning into him once more. "You're here now. That's what matters. Just…stay with me."

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione. She still was out of sorts, so he knew talking about her situation wasn't a good idea. So, he held her, basking in her presence and enjoying this moment of utter bliss.

However, the moment didn't last, as a loud crash occurred outside the room, causing the pair to separate and stare at the door. Loud voices echoed outside, making the pair share a worried look.

"Draco, what's going on?"

"I don't know but if I were to guess, I think I'm in a bit of trouble."

"Trouble? What do you mean?"

"Hermione…bloody hell I didn't want to tell you now because you just woke up but –"

The door slammed open, with Harry standing there, his wand pointed right at Draco.

"Potter?!"

"Harry?!"

"Hermione! You're awake!"

"Harry, what's going on?"

The Chosen one sighed. "Malfoy, I have to take you in. You've violated St. Mungo's authority over the patient. I've been sent to arrest you."

"WHAT?" Hermione's eyes flashed gold and all of the sudden she was in front of Draco, standing in-between him and Harry. "You're not touching him."

Luna poked her head out from behind Harry. "Hun, I think you better let me handle this."

"Luna, you're not trained to deal with these situations."

"Harry James Potter you step aside and let me deal with my distressed patient or you'll find yourself at the end of my wand. Now, MOVE."

Both Harry's and Draco's eyebrows rose at Luna's unusual behaviour. The Gryffindor stepped back, motioning for his girlfriend to go through, and wisely choosing not to saying anything that would aggravate the blonde further. Luna strode in, momentarily glaring at her boyfriend before approaching the raging veela.

"Hermione, unfortunately, Harry is right. Draco here violated St. Mungo's rules by seeing you. Under no circumstances was anyone who was not authorized supposed to enter your room. Draco, being a visitor, violated that and therefore needs to be dealt with. Now, here's what we're going to do. Harry will take Draco -"

Hermione growled at the mentioning of her mate leaving her side.

Luna simply grinned that serene smile. "Hermione, Worm, Draco will come back to you." That visibly calmed the veela. "We just need to get you sorted before you can bail him out. Harry, you will inform Hermione of what the cost is?"

"Yeah. Yes."

"Good. Now, Draco, I need you to calm Hermione down. Since you're her mate you're the only one who can get her to come out of that state. Harry and I will stall. Draco, when Hermione is back, come out to the main hall. We'll take it from there."

"Understood." Uttered the Slytherin. He moved himself to stand in-between Luna and Hermione, turning his back to the blonde so his veela could not see the others. Luna gestured for Harry to follow her out of the room and the pair shut the door gently behind them.

Draco grasped Hermione's arms gently and looked straight into her eyes. "Hermione, can you come back? It's just us now."

Hermione felt the struggle of her veela wanting to run after the pair who had tried to rip her mate from her. She had just gotten him back. The brunette took deep breaths, her logic beginning to creep back in. Her veela still screamed vengeance but Hermione knew better. Her instincts told her Draco was here, with her, and that's what _mattered_. Not avenging him.

" _You need to listen to me now."_ She thought of her veela. She sensed a smile erupting from her counterpart and a silent agreement before disappearing. Hermione opened her eyes after that and saw Draco smiling.

"You're back."

Hermione grinned. "I was never really gone. Just…regaining who I am."

"Are you alright to leave the room? You're not going to lose control?"

"Draco, it isn't about losing control but more of accepting that part of me. I've never really been okay with my veela for all it took from me. But it did give me you, and for that, I can only be grateful. It may have taken me a while to see it but…I get what she was showing me. You're just…"

"Enchanting." They both spoke at the same time. The pair erupted into chuckles.

"Yes, I am utterly enchanted by you." whispered the brunette, whose tone became soft as she stroked his cheek. Her eyes glanced at his lips before going to his grey irises. She asked silently, and he consented. Her lips collided with his and Draco could honestly say the kiss was beyond perfect.

He had already accepted her as his mate, but the kiss seemed to confirm it for her. The molded together with the way the ocean kisses the shore, their hand intertwining in each other's hair, around their bodies, anywhere they could reach.

His blood burned itself through him, rushing to his heart making it pound against his ribcage. He felt like he would explode but had never felt safer inside her arms. She consumed him, every part of him yearned for her to collapse into his own soul.

He understood soulmates. He had grown up with veela love stories told to him as a child, about souls coming together as one and the sheer _beauty_ of two people joining for eternity. As a young boy, Draco desired that bond more than anything, despite not being a veela. He wondered if Hermione knew from the moment she discovered her magic that she was one of those creatures. That she was the one he shared his soul with. Most likely not, but the way they were drawn to one another throughout Hogwarts surely wasn't a coincidence. It was providence. It was destiny. It was their souls _calling_ out to one another through whatever means necessary.

It was a shame it took them so long to get here, but fate works in mysterious ways and with Hermione kissing him with absolute _desire_ and _certainty_ , Draco felt…complete.

He had found the other half of _himself_.

And wasn't that just something utterly delightful?

Too soon for his liking, Draco pulled them apart. Hermione smiled sheepishly, her cheeks flushed, displaying the thorough snogging the pair just did. The blond figured he probably looked the same way. But he couldn't give a damn.

"You look ravishing."

Hermione preened under the compliment. "You look delectable yourself. If we were in a more appropriate place I'd probably take you right now."

"is that a challenge Granger?"

"Granger?"

"I think whenever we get into our quarreling habits I'll be referring to you as that. I'm far too fond of calling you, Granger."

"Very well. Consider it done for me to do the same, _Malfoy_."

Draco smirked. "When you say it like that I want my wicked way with you."

Hermione laughed. "Later. As much as I'm enjoying this I think we need to deal with your predicament first. Shall we?"

Rather than heading to the door, the blond entered Hermione's personal space. "That's not leaving." She whispered, trying to regain her self-control as to _no_ t jump him. Now that the pair were aware of what they were to each other (and really, Hermione figured out that he knew about her heritage rather quickly. St. Mungo's, her condition, Luna and Harry showing up, it just _made sense_ that Draco knew) she wanted to just _bite_ the guy. Repeatedly.

"I need to tell you before we go. I'm in this. Completely. Not because you're a veela and I'm your mate but because you're you. I…I'm…"

Hermione placed a finger on Draco's lips. "I know. Me too."

The blond kissed her finger. Then he grasped her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. Hermione's heart fluttered, and the pair left the room hand in hand, to whatever fate left in store for them.

…


	8. Epilogue

Enchanted

Epilogue

" _I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything.  
Maybe we're from the same star."  
― __Emery Allen_

"Draco, your tie is undone."

"Hermione, I am well aware."

"Let me do it for you."

"No! _Bloody hell_ woman I can manage to do it myself thank you very much."

"Really? Are you sure? Because I'm _quite_ an expert at using them."

Draco growled under breath, nipping the minx's bottom lip who he called soulmate. His partner was a wily one, full of mirth ever since they had gotten together. The blond couldn't recall being happier than with Hermione Granger and Merlin knows he'd never give up any of their days spent in bliss for anything. She was _it_ for him and he could safely say he'd be dying a happy man.

Not that he planned on heading to the grave anytime soon of course. He still had to marry her first.

He looked at Hermione in the mirror as he did his tie, a smile blooming on his face as he gazed fondly at her. She was ravishing in her periwinkle dress, one that wasn't as modest as the one in fourth year. Of course, Hermione was never the kind of woman to flaunt what she had but complement it and her outfit was doing that just perfectly. And the blond could just imagine how breathtaking she'd be in an ivory dress, walking down a cobblestone aisle towards him as he stood by the altar.

The ring in his pant pocket weighed heavily on his mind as he was fully aware of his intentions to propose. He wasn't going to do it tonight though, weddings were not the place for proposals. He had no intention of stealing the groom's thunder, especially when the groom was his own father.

Merlin knew Lucius would never let him hear the end of it.

"Draco, I'm just going to go and check up on Lucius. You'll be fine on your own yes? Or do I need to send Harry in for you?"

"I think I am quite capable of getting ready without Potter's help. Merlin woman you need to stop pushing it. We have a perfect relationship."

"Exchanging barbs is not what I call a relationship."

"At least we're talking now after the bloody mess he put us through."

Hermione sighed. She supposed her paramour had a point. After Draco had been arrested and dragged off to the Ministry, going through the procedures to get him out was exhausting. It took her, Luna and Lucius _six months_ to get Draco out of their grasp.

"You know, if you had registered with the Ministry I would have been out sooner."

"Not this argument again Draco. Yes, I should have informed our wizarding government that I was a veela. However, I had no desire to be in the spotlight further after the war over something I had no control over and with wizards _throwing_ themselves at me."

Draco growled at the thought of anyone else touching her. "Draco, honey, relax." Hermione approached him, wrapping her arms around his waist, the option of seeing Lucius long forgotten. The blond sighed, his hands resting gently on hers.

"Better?"

Draco nodded, turning in Hermione's embrace to face her. He took her cheeks in his hands and stroked them lovingly as he gazed into her eyes. "Much."

"I didn't realize that when we bonded you'd become more primal in nature."

"It's almost as if I'm veela myself."

Hermione frowned. "No, that's not it. But maybe some of that Teleri line _did_ end up in you and mixed with a veela bond, made you a little more animalistic. _Merlin knows_ I certainly go murderous on any female within range of you. If Harry hadn't proposed Luna I very well might have ripped her head off if she came near you again. There were several moments of utter vengeance that rushed through me. The veela's a possessive bugger."

Draco grinned. "That sounds like something I'd say, sweetheart."

"Mhm. I guess you're rubbing off on me. Not that I'm complaining."

Draco smiled into the kiss with his mate. Too soon she pulled away from his lips to which he licked them to consume all of her taste. As always, she was divine on his tongue.

"Alright. Now I do really need to get going. I have to make sure Lucius is all ready to go. I promised him I would help him and if I stay here any longer I'll end up tearing off those clothes you're wearing and angering the bride and I'm sure she's plenty stressed already."

"I was going to see her actually to make sure she was alright."

"That isn't a bad idea. Actually, how about I visit Kerli and you see your father. You can probably help him better than I can, and it'll give you two some bonding before he marries his bonded."

"I still can't understand what she sees in him, but I must admit they are incredibly content."

"Much like Luna and Harry in that regard. Alright. I'm going to see Kerli now. I'll see you soon."

Hermione kissed Draco on his cheek before leaving the room to go see the bride. Draco looked at his reflection one more time, making sure everything was in order. Once he found himself presentable, he went to his father's room. He knocked gently on the door, thanking the planner for placing his father close to him so he wouldn't have to walk a long distance and ruin his new Italian leather shoes.

"father?"

"Come in."

The blond opened the door to reveal the older Malfoy wrestling with his own tie. Draco smirked, shutting the door behind him as he made his way to his father's side.

"Here, let me."

"Thank you, son. I'm afraid I have not dressed in such attire before. I must admit, the muggle wear is oddly comfortable though this device here seems rather obscure."

"It's a tie father. It's used to accessorize the outfit."

"Did Hermione teach you that?"

"She did. I reacted that same way you did but with a more aggressive attitude."

Lucius chuckled. "You were always too hot-headed as a child. I see that has not changed."

Draco would have been offended, had he not seen the smirk dancing on his father's face and the mirth in his eyes. The younger Malfoy felt a fondness for his father and a light-hearted happiness that he could have moments like this without fear or dredge looming over them.

It was a new age for the Malfoy men, one that Draco hoped would last for a while.

"There. All done. You look dashing Father. Kerli will love it."

"I hope so."

The Malfoy men stared at their reflection in the ornate floor length mirror in the manor, a sweet silence falling over them.

"You look happy."

"I am son. I feel better than I have in years."

"Well, you're not fading any more right? The marriage to Kerli will establish the bond forever and keep you healthy for a long time."

"You are right. Once we exchange our vows it shall be a long time before I ever leave this earth."

"You know, Hermione wondered if I did inherit some of your lineage in me."

"How so?"

"Apparently, I'm a bit too much like a veela sometimes, which shouldn't be the case in our bond. I'm to be the anchor, not another veela."

"And she believes that the magic from the Teleri line may have influenced your mating?"

"Something like that."

Lucius chuckled. "Brightest witch of our age indeed."

"Father?"

"I never told her the truth when she came to confront me. Well, not the entire truth. I did not want to affect her decisions regarding you by knowing that you did inherit the lineage in you. I was afraid of what could have occurred if she knew what blood ran through you."

"Are you saying that…the Teleri line runs within me, which means had I not mated I could very well have been in your shoes at some point in the future. You should have told her, or me at least. We agreed on no more secrets between the two of us."

"I know. But, had you known or she, the pair of you would have kept the other further away than coming closer. It was taking too long already. The pair of you are some of the most stubborn people I've met. Merlin knows how long it could have taken if the two of you sought to never force the bond of yours on the other."

Draco sighed. As angry as he wished to be with his father for not telling him the truth he couldn't. His father had a point. Draco would have avoided Hermione if he knew that she was his bonded, out of fear of forcing something on her, just like she did with him. He'd let her know after the wedding.

The wedding planner poked his head in, giving the two Malfoy men a stern look and berated them for not being in place as the wedding was about to start. The blonds had the decency to sheepishly blush before following the planner to the gardens where the ceremony would take place.

"Mister Malfoy I would like you here, please. Yes, stand right there beside the magistrate. So, the bride will walk down the aisle, escorted by you, Mister Malfoy Junior. You will then hand her off to Mister Malfoy senior and take a seat in the audience. Now, to your places please I'm going to get the bride, come with me, Mister Malfoy Junior."

The planner disappeared down the aisle and Draco shot his father an amused look as he followed the footsteps of the planner towards the bride.

…

Hermione stepped into Kerli's dressing room with a gentle knock on the door. A faint come in had come through and the brunette gasped in delight at the sight of the soon to be married witch.

" _Oh Kerli_ , you look beautiful. Lucius will be speechless when he sees you."

"Thanks, Hermione. Merlin, I never knew this day would come. Heck, I didn't think I'd ever be here, about to marry none other than _Lucius Malfoy_."

The brunette grinned as she adjusted the train of Kerli's dress. "Well, I'd say you've found yourself quite the man. He looks so much better now that he's with you. Thank you, by the way. I don't think any of us could be more grateful. And I do know you love him unconditionally, but still, you _saved his life_ and I know certainly Draco is utterly appreciative by your decision to bond with Lucius."

Kerli fixed the flowers strewn through her hair. "Thanks, I guess? I've never really thought of it as saving him. I always liked Lucius, especially when he wasn't a pompous ass anymore but…I mean, I was always attracted to him in Hogwarts. You should have seen him… _Ugh_ , he was stunning. Of course, he was a Slytherin and I was a Hufflepuff, so we never associated unless it was him snarling at me because, hey, my colours were different than his. But it always seemed so _forced_. And you know, he only ever did it when he had an audience. If it was just us, he'd simply nod and keep moving."

"You two were heads, together weren't you? In your final year?"

"No. We were prefects together. Patrolling was enjoyable. We talked, about _everything_ really. But…after Hogwarts, he got married and we never really…connected after that. Different circles you know? It wasn't until Draco hired me that we got reacquainted. It was nice. Being around him again. I hadn't realized I had missed him until he was back."

Hermione smiled fondly. "That's quite romantic."

Kerli blushed. "Yeah. I was so worried Lucius wouldn't talk to me but it was him who reached out to me. And it was like no time had passed. But...he definitely wasn't as healthy as he is now. He never told me why until, well, _after_ we got together."

"I completely understand."

"The veela right?"

"Yes. I kept restraining her, keeping her at bay because…I wasn't okay with that part of me. Regardless of Draco being my mate, my reluctance of pursuing him for the sole sake of it being my veela was catastrophic, as we well know. Lucius and I were on the same path but I'm glad he learned from my mistake."

Kerli twirled around, the gown swishing around her as she faced Hermione. "Me too."

A knock erupted on the door, breaking whatever trance the pair were in. "Come in," called Hermione, moving her skirt out of the way so she could walk without tripping. Draco entered, first peeking his head in before entering completely.

"Kerli, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you, Draco. What are you doing here?"

"I've been asked, well, more like _forced_ , to come get you. The wedding is about to begin."

"Alright. Well, I'll be off then. I'll see you soon Kerli." Hermione hugged the witch before kissing Draco's cheek. "I'll see you soon." The veela left the room, leaving Draco with Kerli. He softly smiled at her, taking it her appearance and knowing just how speechless his father would be when he laid eyes on her.

"You really do look spectacular."

"Thank you. Shall we get going? I have a feeling that planner is going to have our heads."

"M'lady." Draco offered his arm, to which Kerli linked her own and the pair left the dressing room, heading to the back foyer before entering into the gardens for the ceremony. When the planner saw the pair in place, he snapped his fingers and the string quartet began to serenade the few individuals who were invited. There was no wedding party, for Kerli saw no reason to have anyone onstage. Lucius had heartily agreed.

…

Kerli and Draco descended down the aisle, the blond looking to Hermione who watched entranced and then to his father, who had tears in his eyes and as the younger Malfoy had predicted, was absolutely speechless. When they got to the front, Lucius took Kerli's hand and led her up the stairs. The blond smiled, making his way to his seat beside Hermione. As soon as he sat down, the brunette linked their arms and entwined their fingers. The wizard responded with a kiss on the forehead before directing his attention to the couple up front.

"They make such a striking couple."

Draco and Hermione looked over to a very pregnant Luna, who smiled serenely at Lucius and Kerli. Harry was beside her, stroking his thumb over the hand he was holding.

"I agree Luna. They really do," spoke Hermione, squeezing Draco's arm lovingly. The group of four proceeded to watch the ceremony in silence. They watched as the vows were exchanged and the magistrate waved his wand over the joining hands. A bright flash occurred, with a golden ribbon appearing, winding itself around the hands and wrists before sinking into the skin, leaving a trail of gold sparkles behind.

Lucius and Kerli then kissed, descended from their stage and headed towards the reception area. The group of four waited for their turn to leave and head there as well.

"I'm so happy for Lucius. He really deserves a loving marriage," said Luna as she watched the end of Kerli's train.

Hermione happily sighed. She was entranced by the romantic atmosphere that surrounded the entire environment. "It took them a long time to get here, but, they are better for it I think."

"What do you mean?" Harry rubbed Luna's belly soothingly as he directed his question to Hermione. The witch speaking moved her hand from her lover's arm to his hair, twirling it amongst her fingers as she spoke.

"The pair of them were so different when they first met that any form of romance would have fallen apart before blossoming. However now that time has passed, and they have grown as individuals, it's the perfect time for them to come together. It just…it's like fate had it planned to be like this, from the very beginning."

"That's how fate works darling."

"I know Draco but…still. Makes it quite romantic doesn't it."

Luna smiled. "I agree Worm. Oh! The baby's hungry."

"How can you tell?"

"Because I'm hungry." Giggled Luna who, with help from Harry, stood up. "Can we go to the reception? I'm rather hungry."

"Of course. We'll see you two later?" Harry asked. Hermione and Draco nodded in response. Harry then accompanied a waddling Luna to the reception. Soon, it was just the veela mates left. The blond looked to his lover who was staring at the wedding arch, a pensive look on her face.

"What is it?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing I suppose. Okay, well it isn't really nothing. I just…I guess I'm wondering when we're going to get married. I know it shouldn't matter because we're already mated but…I guess…will we ever get engaged? Married? Is that something you want?"

Draco pant pocket felt hot as the ring burned itself into his leg. He could feel it vibrantly, despite being nothing more than metal and jewels melded together. His hands became clammy and Hermione looked on with concern.

"Draco?"

"I hadn't wanted to do this here. I wanted to plan something big, something romantic for you but I suppose this shouldn't; surprise me as nothing concerning you ever goes according to plan."

The brunette looked even more confused than she had before, tilting her head to the side in questioning. "Draco, what is it?"

The blond fished inside his pocket, pulling out a midnight blue box with a lace bow. He held it out to her, having his left arm wrapped around her chair as she gaped at the ring. "Oh. I…I didn't know that you were…"

Draco chuckled. "That was the idea. But…will you?"

"Draco Malfoy I would love to marry you."

The blond grinned, swooping in for a heated kiss before slipping the pear cut, rose gold, diamond ring onto her finger. The band sized itself accordingly, becoming a snug fit on her ring finger.

"It's beautiful."

He kissed her hand, sending butterflies straight to her core. "Draco," she whispered in his ear, "If you keep this up we'll be late to the reception."

A mischievous twinkle appeared in the blond's grey eyes. He pulled her into his arms, enthusiastically devouring her mouth to get more of that sweet taste of her. She pulled back, her pupils dilating with desire as she stared at him. The pair were panting heavily. "Sod propriety." Muttered Hermione before pulling Draco in again.

The blond chuckled into the kissing, wondering how he had ever not seen just how utterly wonderful Hermione was.

He supposed that he was simply _enchanted_ by her.

…


	9. Answers to Reader Confusion

Apologies to the readers about the confusion! I realize I may have been too vague concerning the epilogue and the whole fiasco. Here's the run down.

1\. **Draco's arrest** : Hermione didn't register with the Ministry about being a veela as she wanted to be out of the spotlight. She had enough attention as a war hero and didn't want anymore. Due to this, the Ministry had no proof that Hermione was, in fact, a veela on file which is why getting Draco out of their confinement took so long because he was not registered as her mate and therefore could not be pardoned for being in her room as her cure. Therefore Draco was there "technically" without any official permission and was "breaking in" to see a patient.

2\. **Why Luna's approval didn't work:** Pansy called Luna knowing Luna would give permission. However, despite Luna being a healer she was not one of the designated healers over Hermione's case. She was merely a friend who had access to her and sometimes took it upon herself to look after Hermione even though she didn't have the jurisdiction to do so. She got away with it because she was also a war hero.

3\. **Why permission wasn't enough** : Because the Ministry love there legal jargon and processes, having the permission was not enough to justify Draco's presence in Hermione's room as Luna was not a healer allowed to give permission and Pansy was not a head healer and disobeyed the law of St. Mungo's, and Hermione was an unregistered veela. With all the factors combined, Draco was essentially breaking the law and was taken into custody by the Ministry rather than simply being kicked out.

4\. **Draco's sudden appearance of the elven blood** : So, due to Draco mating to Hermione, the veela bond caused his dormant elven blood to suddenly appear which is why you see Hermione referencing it in the epilogue. Now, Lucius said that Draco received none because he wasn't the child of a true bond. Lucius simply lied. Draco always had the Teleri line in him it just had gone dormant due to his parent's bond not being true. When Draco embraced a true bond, such as his and Hermione's, then his blood made itself known.

I hope that answers any confusion you readers may have had! Happy reading!

Ember G.


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